Citing concerns about the dangers and racism elected officials face, Democratic Rep. Deqa Dhalac from South Portland announced Thursday that she will not seek reelection this year.
“Throughout my tenure, I have experienced persistent racism, harassment, and threats that reflect a broader national pattern targeting Black and Brown elected officials,” she said in a news release.
Dhalac, who gained national attention in 2021 after becoming the country’s first Somali-American mayor, is serving her second term in the Maine Legislature. Over the past year, she has been the target of racist attacks, including campaign ads from Republican gubernatorial candidate Bobby Charles that labeled her a “radical Somalia-first” state representative.
More recently, Republican lawmakers have asked for her to be removed from the Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee over allegations involving her former employer and MaineCare billing practices.
Dhalac’s decision underscores the heightened scrutiny, harassment and safety concerns faced by elected officials of color in Maine, one of the country’s whitest states. While hostile rhetoric around immigration is increasing across the country, Black elected leaders and anti-racist advocates told Maine Morning Star that the charged political climate has made public service more isolating and dangerous for some leaders, prompting some to step away from elected office altogether.
Dhalac echoed this in her statement announcing that she won’t seek reelection on Thursday.
“These dangers are real and carry heavy emotional and physical consequences not only for those serving, but for their families as well,” she said. “No one should have to endure fear or dehumanization simply for stepping forward to serve their community.”
Pious Ali, Maine’s first African-born American elected official who has been in office in Portland since 2013, has known Dhalac for decades. He told Maine Morning Star on Friday that her service to her community is deeply valued, but it can’t come at the cost of her well-being.
“Nobody should pay the price of privacy or safety to serve the community that they love,” Ali said. “Public office is a very difficult position to be in, especially now more than ever.”
He pointed to the recent attack on U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar during her speech at a town hall in Minneapolis. Leaders of color across the country have faced increasing online threats, too, he said, and they may be coming from their constituents in their home states.
While Maine’s population has been diversifying, about 93% of the state is still white, according to the 2024 census. That means the few elected officials of color have to face additional scrutiny, according to Shay-Stewart Bouley, an anti-racism activist and writer in Southern Maine, who previously served on Portland’s Charter Commission.
“While there are a lot of white people in Maine who most certainly are appreciative and embrace the diversity that’s happened over the last two decades, there are a lot of people who aren’t,” she said. “And given our current, you know, reality, we have to ask ourselves, what are we doing to protect our people, to protect their mental and emotional health when they run for office?”
Elected officials in Maine choose not to run again
Dhalac is not the first person to not pursue reelection citing the additional scrutiny elected officials of color face in Maine. In 2019, Safiya Khalid was the first Somali-American to be elected to the City Council in Lewiston, Maine’s second-largest city. In 2021, she announced she would not seek a second term, saying “people of color are consistently met with hatred” when they engage with the political process. Khalid is now a community organizer and has been vocal against President Donald Trump’s rhetoric attacking Somali immigrants.
Dhalac has recently joined Khalid in speaking out against Trump’s anti-Somali rhetoric, writing an open letter to him in December 2025 along with two other Somali-American lawmakers, Democratic Reps. Mana Abdi from Lewiston and Yusuf Yusuf from Portland.
“An attack on Somali Americans … or on any immigrant community is an attack on all Americans,” the representatives said in response to Trump calling Somali immigrants “garbage.”
“Maine is stronger when we stand together, reject dehumanization, and insist on a future rooted in safety, fairness, and shared belonging.”
Angela Okafor, a former city council member who became Bangor’s first Black elected official in 2019, said today’s tense political climate is undoubtedly making it harder for immigrants and politicians of color to run for office.
She said that while much of the racism she faced seven years ago stemmed from ignorance, that explanation no longer holds in 2026.
“We are not asking for favoritism. We are not asking for the bar to be brought down,” she said. “All we ask is keep the bar where it is, let us prove ourselves, but stop the attacks on us.”
Stewart-Bouley said many elected leaders in Maine have long experienced harassment in some form, but the political climate today has made running for office seem particularly unwelcome.
“Every circle that I’m a part of that includes Black elected officials in Maine or public figures, we have all dealt with the harassment and the racism,” she said. “If a young Black person asked me about running for office in Maine, I would probably tell you no. You have to really think about your safety and well-being.”
Scrutiny over former employer
Over the past month, some Republican lawmakers have targeted Dhalac while calling for increased scrutiny of alleged MaineCare fraud involving her former employer.
In December, U.S. House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY) requested reports about Portland-based health care provider Gateway Community Services, including records related to Dhalac.
That spurred Republican lawmakers to call for Dhalac to be removed from the Maine Legislature’s Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee.
“We believe that that is a serious conflict, and that someone under investigation by Congress with this level of fraud should not sit on that committee,” said House Minority Leader Billy Bob Faulkingham, a Republican from Winter Harbor.
Dhalac responded in a statement by saying she worked for Gateway for less than a year and had no involvement in the company’s billing practices.
“Any accusations that I participated in illegal activities aren’t just unequivocally false—they are also reckless and harmful,” she said. “I take seriously the state’s responsibility to serve as a good steward of taxpayer dollars, and I support the investigation to hold accountable any individuals who misuse public funds.”
Maine House of Representatives Speaker Rep. Ryan Fecteau (D-Biddeford) said. At the same time, all allegations of fraud must be treated seriously, “we must avoid generalizations against entire groups of people, in this case, Mainers who have emigrated from Somalia.”
“It is not only wrong but dangerous to do so,” he said. “Hatred directed at this community based on the wrongdoing of another is plainly wrong.”
While Dhalac will end her tenure as a state representative this year, she said she plans to continue advocating for her community.
“This decision is not a withdrawal from the work,” Dhalac said. “I remain deeply committed to justice, community empowerment, and the fight for equity. I will continue this work outside of elected office, alongside the communities that have always been my strength.”
This article was originally published by Maine Morning Star and is republished here in accordance with their republishing guidelines.
Original reporting by Eesh Pendharkar, Maine Morning Star.
Read the original story at: https://mainemorningstar.com
Eesha Pendharkar
Eesha Pendharkar has worked in newsrooms in Maine, Massachusetts and DC for more than seven years, building expertise in education, equity and data reporting with an array of general assignment coverage.
