William_Diamond
William Diamond
American politician
G. William Diamond (born 1945) is an American Democratic politician, educator, small business owner, legislator and former Maine Secretary of State. Diamond currently serves in the Maine Senate representing Senate District 26, which comprises the towns of Windham, Raymond, Standish, Casco, Baldwin and Frye Island.
Bill Diamond | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Maine Senate | |
| In office December 3, 2014 – December 7, 2022 | |
| Preceded by | Rodney Whittemore |
| Succeeded by | Timothy Nangle |
| Constituency | 26th district |
| In office December 2004 – December 2012 | |
| Succeeded by | Gary Plummer |
| Constituency | 12th district |
| 45th Secretary of State of Maine | |
| In office 1989–1996 | |
| Governor | John R. McKernan Jr. Angus King |
| Preceded by | Rodney S. Quinn[1] |
| Succeeded by | Dan Gwadosky[1] |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1945 (age 78–79) |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Jane Diamond |
| Alma mater | University of Southern Maine, Gorham University of New England |
Diamond served in the Maine House of Representatives from 1977 to 1982, was the Maine Secretary of State from 1989 to 1997, and has served in the Maine Senate from 1982 to 1986, from 2004 to 2012 and from 2018 to the present. He was a teacher in the Windham and Raymond school systems for 18 years and was the superintendent and director of governmental relations for the controversial Élan School in Poland, Maine.
Diamond was born in 1945. He received a bachelor's degree from Gorham State Teachers' College in 1968 and a master's degree in education administration from the same institution in 1972.[2][3] He was a teacher and principal in the Windham and Raymond school system from 1968-1986, and was the superintendent of the Raymond school system in 1986. Diamond has been a business owner since 1980.[2][3]
Diamond also served as the superintendent and director of governmental relations at the Élan School in Poland, Maine, which closed in 2011 following an online campaign against the school over its alleged abuse and mistreatment of students.[4][5][6]
Maine House of Representatives
Diamond first ran for Maine House District 23 in 1976, winning the Democratic primary as a write-in candidate and defeating Republican Barbara Strout 51%-49% in the general election.[7] He served two subsequent terms, running unopposed in Democratic primaries in both 1978 and 1980, defeating Republican Carole Bean in the 1978 general election and running unopposed in the 1980 general election.[8][9][10][11]
Maine Senate 1982-1986
In 1982, Diamond defeated Republican David Huber 56%-44% in the general election to represent Maine Senate District 6. He won a second Senate term in 1984, beating Republican Kenneth Cole 61.5%-38.5%.[12][13]
Secretary of State
Diamond was first elected Secretary of State by the 114th Maine House of Representatives on December 7, 1988. Diamond was nominated along with Stephen M. Zirnkilton and received 115 House votes to Zirnkilton's 62.[14] Diamond's first two-year term as Secretary of State began in 1989 under Governor John R. McKernan Jr.[3]
In 1993, Diamond faced criticism for his response to a ballot-tampering accusation directed toward an assistant to then-House Majority Leader John L. Martin.[15] The incident is credited with contributing to the establishment of term limits for Maine legislators later in 1993.[16]
Diamond entered the race for Maine's 1st congressional district in 1994 but lost the Democratic primary election.[17] He remained Secretary of State until 1997 under Governor Angus King.[3]
Maine Senate
Diamond again ran for the Senate District 12 seat in 2004. He ran unopposed in the Democratic primary and defeated Republican Joseph Bruno 55%-45% in the general election.[18] He was re-elected in 2006,[19] 2008, and 2010[20] before reaching his term limit.
In 2014, Diamond again sought the Senate District 26 seat, ran unopposed in the Democratic primary and defeated Republican Kaile Warren 63%-37% in the general election. He was re-elected in 2016, 2018 and 2020.[20]
Diamond and his wife, Jane Diamond, live in Windham. They have two adult daughters and eight grandchildren.[21][2] In 2012, Diamond published The Evil and the Innocent, a compilation of true crime stories about perpetrators and victims of child sexual abuse.[21]
Diamond has been the co-founder and president of Windham Neighbors Helping Neighbors since 2007[2][21] and serves on the board of directors for the Maine State Society for the Protection of Animals[3] and for Hospice of Southern Maine.[21][2]
Maine House
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | G. William Diamond (write-in) | 163 | 100% | |
| Total votes | 163 | 100.0%[22] | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | G. William Diamond | 2,138 | 50.9% | |
| Republican | Barbara E. Strout | 2,062 | 49.1% | |
| Total votes | 4,200 | 100.0%[7] | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | G. William Diamond | 375 | 100% | |
| Total votes | 375 | 100.0%[8] | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | G. William Diamond | 2,441 | 79.4% | |
| Republican | Carole L. Bean | 633 | 20.6% | |
| Total votes | 3,074 | 100.0%[9] | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | G. William Diamond | 118 | 100% | |
| Total votes | 118 | 100.0%[10] | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | G. William Diamond | 4,477 | 100% | |
| Total votes | 4,477 | 100.0%[11] | ||
Maine Senate
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | G. William Diamond | 11,049 | 55.8% | |
| Republican | David G. Huber | 8,748 | 44.2% | |
| Total votes | 19,797 | 100.0%[12] | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | G. William Diamond | 10,963 | 61.5% | |
| Republican | Kenneth M. Cole III | 6,869 | 38.5% | |
| Total votes | 17,832 | 100.0%[13] | ||
(Diamond served as the Maine Secretary of State from 1989 to 1997.)
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | G. William Diamond | |||
| Total votes | 100.0% | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | G. William Diamond | 11,632 | 55.4% | |
| Republican | Joseph Bruno | 9,366 | 44.6% | |
| Total votes | 20,998 | 100.0%[18] | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | G. William Diamond | 100% | ||
| Total votes | 100.0% | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | G. William Diamond | 10,020 | 64.4% | |
| Republican | Lani S. Kelly | 5,531 | 35.6% | |
| Total votes | 15,551 | 100.0%[19] | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | G. William Diamond | 100% | ||
| Total votes | 100.0% | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Bill Diamond | 14,395 | 67.1% | |
| Republican | Thomas Golebiewski | 5,388 | 25.1% | |
| Green | Lisa Willey | 1,664 | 7.8% | |
| Total votes | 21,447 | 100.0% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Bill Diamond | 100% | ||
| Total votes | 100.0% | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Bill Diamond | 10,063 | 60.1% | |
| Republican | Ann-Marie Grenier | 6,667 | 40.0% | |
| Total votes | 16,730 | 100.0% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Bill Diamond | 100% | ||
| Total votes | 100.0% | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Bill Diamond | 10,389 | 63.1% | |
| Republican | Kaile Warren | 6,087 | 36.9% | |
| Total votes | 16,476 | 100.0% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Bill Diamond | 13,081 | 62.0% | |
| Republican | Ryan McDonald | 8,026 | 38.0% | |
| Total votes | 21,107 | 100.0% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Bill Diamond | 2,402 | 100% | |
| Total votes | 2,402 | 100.0% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Bill Diamond | 14,743 | 80.5% | |
| Independent | Other/write-in votes | 3,574 | 19.5% | |
| Total votes | 18,317 | 100.0% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Bill Diamond | 3,528 | 100% | |
| Total votes | 3,528 | 100.0% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Bill Diamond | 14,267 | 60.7% | |
| Republican | Karen Lockwood | 9,219 | 39.3% | |
| Total votes | 23,486 | 100.0%[20] | ||
- "Maine Secretaries of State, 1820 -". Maine State Legislature. Archived from the original on 28 March 2021. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
- Bader, Emily (9 October 2020). "Republican Karen Lockwood to take on nine-time incumbent Democrat Bill Diamond". Portland Press Herald/Lakes Region Weekly. Archived from the original on 24 March 2021. Retrieved 24 March 2021.
- "Senate District 26: Bill Diamond". Maine Senate Democrats. Archived from the original on 24 March 2021. Retrieved 24 March 2021.
- "Controversial Elan School closing due to low numbers, negative Web campaign". Bangor Daily News. 24 March 2011. Archived from the original on 8 January 2014. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
- Meyer, Judith (23 March 2021). "Elan School closing after Web campaign to shut it down". Sun Journal. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
- Skelton, Kathryn; Tice, Lindsay (13 March 2016). "His family asks: What really happened to Phil at the Elan School?". Sun Journal. Archived from the original on 12 April 2019. Retrieved 6 April 2021.
- "1976 General Election: Representatives to Legislature". DigitalMaine Repository. 2 November 1976. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
- "1978 Democratic Primary: Representatives to Legislature". DigitalMaine Repository. 13 June 1978. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
- "1978 General Election: Representatives to Legislature". DigitalMaine Repository. 7 November 1978. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
- "1980 Democratic Primary: Representatives to Legislature". DigitalMaine Repository. 10 June 1980. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
- "1980 General Election: Representatives to Legislature". DigitalMaine Repository. 4 November 1980. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
- "1982 General Election: State Senators". DigitalMaine Repository. 2 November 1982. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
- "1984 General Election: State Senators". DigitalMaine Repository. 6 November 1984. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
- "One Hundred and Fourteenth Maine Legislature First Regular Session 1st Legislative Day" (PDF). Law and Legislative Digital Library at the Maine State Law and Legislative Reference Library. 7 December 1988. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
- Claiborne, William (4 March 1993). "2 Maine aides guilty in ballot tampering". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 11 April 2021. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
- Cousins, Christopher (12 March 2018). "After 25 years of term limits, Maine still has plenty of career politicians". Bangor Daily News. Archived from the original on 11 April 2021. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
- Associated Press (26 June 2012). "Summers won't resign as Secretary of State during Senate campaign". Centralmaine.com. Archived from the original on 12 April 2021. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
- "Maine State Senate elections, 2004". Ballotpedia. Archived from the original on 12 April 2021. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
- "Maine State Senate elections, 2006". Ballotpedia. Archived from the original on 12 April 2021. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
- "Bill Diamond". Ballotpedia. Archived from the original on 24 March 2021. Retrieved 24 March 2021.
- "On the Ballot: SD 26, Diamond vs. Lockwood". The Bridgton News. 9 October 2020. Archived from the original on 24 March 2021. Retrieved 24 March 2021.
- "1976 Democratic Primary: Representatives to Legislature". DigitalMaine Repository. 8 June 1976. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
- Maine Senate Democrats: Bill Diamond
- Portland Press Herald op ed: "Sen. Bill Diamond: Maine judiciary is something we can all be proud of"
- The Evil and the Innocent on Goodreads
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Secretary of State of Maine 1989–1996 |
Succeeded by |