Angus King: “today I speak in honor of Andrea Quaid and reflect on her outsized impact in my office and across the State of Maine.…”

“today I speak in honor of Andrea Quaid and reflect on her outsized impact in my office and across the State of Maine. Andrea passed away the morning of January 31, 2025. She was an exemplary model for living passionately and in the pursuit of making a difference in the lives of others. Andrea was a graduate of Dartmouth College--part of the first class that included women--and she was immensely proud to be part of that trailblazing path for other young women to follow. Her zest for life and for new and interesting things fueled her as she worked in several States and abroad--specifically in Paris--for a number of years before she made her way to Maine, where she found herself at home. In Maine, she forged her lifelong career with a decades-long commitment to public service, which began when she first worked as a legislative aide in the Maine State House; this role partly overlapped my terms of service as Maine's Governor. Andrea later worked as a trusted district representative for then-Congressman Mike Michaud, who served as Maine's Representative in the 2nd Congressional District for over a decade. To say that Andrea came to my office fully prepared to navigate issues of concern for Maine constituents would be an understatement; she didn't hit the ground running, it was more a sprinter's pace. In this role, Andrea exemplified what it means to be a dedicated public servant.…”