AUGUSTA – Maine Senate Republicans held caucus leadership elections on Thursday, Nov. 10, 2022, for the biennium term of the 131st Legislature, electing Sen. Harold “Trey” Stewart, R-Aroostook, as Senate Republican Leader in a single ballot vote.

Stewart was elected this week to his second term in the Senate, representing the newly reapportioned 2nd District.

“I am honored to be chosen by my colleagues to lead the Senate Republican Caucus. The 13 members of this team bring a diverse range of talents, expertise, passion and energy to the Senate and are eager to get to work for the people of Maine,” said Sen. Stewart. “We still have a job to do, and the Senate Republican Caucus stands ready to provide the commonsense and pro-economic solutions for Maine’s people.”

Republican Leader-elect Stewart is a 2012 graduate of Presque Isle High School and earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Maine in 2016 in political science and sociology, the same year he was first elected to the Maine House of Representatives. After completing his MBA during his first term in the Legislature, he has since graduated from the University of Maine School of Law and passed the state bar exam earlier this summer.

Sen. Stewart was elected to the first of two terms in the House of Representatives in 2016 before being elected to the Senate in 2020. In that time, he has served on the Education and Cultural Affairs Committee; Taxation Committee; Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services Committee; and Energy, Utilities and Technology Committee.

The Caucus also elected Sen. Lisa Keim, R-Oxford, as Assistant Senate Republican Leader through a single ballot vote. Sen. Keim was elected this week to her fourth term, this time representing the newly reapportioned District 19. Her previous district was District 18.

“It is an honor to serve and assist my Republican colleagues as we embrace our obligation to stand strong and govern with integrity. Even in the minority, we have important work to do,” said Sen. Keim. “I look forward to working alongside this team of talented leaders who have earned the trust and respect of their communities as we accomplish our mission.”

She currently serves as the Senate Republican Lead for both the Joint Standing Committee on Judiciary as well as the Government Oversight Committee. Previously, she served as a member of the State and Local Government Committee. She has also served as chair of the Working Group to Improve the Provision of Indigent Legal Services, the Right to Know Advisory Commission, and the Criminal Records Review Advisory Committee.

A Harvard Kennedy School Senior Executive SLG Fellow, Sen. Keim holds a Bachelor of Science in Leadership and Marketing from the University of Southern Maine, is a graduate of the 2017 Eastern Leadership Academy, and is also a Henry Toll Fellow.