Sean Faircloth

Sean Faircloth (born May 23, 1960) is an American writer and politician from Maine, he served as the State Senator for Bangor, Maine, as Mayor until November 2016 and as of 2017 he is serving as a Bangor City Councilor.

He is also an attorney and five-term state legislator.

While in the legislature, Faircloth was appointed to the Judiciary and Appropriations Committees.

In his final term, Faircloth was elected Majority Whip.

Faircloth's first book published by Pitchstone Press, ''Attack of the Theocrats!

"For his legislative accomplishments in the prevention of child sex abuse, and the healthy start child abuse prevention initiative, and for spearheading the deadbeat dad child support law," Faircloth was named Legislator of the Year by the Maine Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers in 1995, and by the Maine Psychological Association.

The deadbeat dad law was incorporated into a proposal by the Clinton administration.

Laura Fortman, then Maine Women's Lobby Executive Director, said of this law, "Sean took the lead in proposing his revised amendment to members of the Appropriations Committee, in disagreement with some members of his own party on the Judiciary Committee, demonstrating tenacity and leadership. This legislation provided essential economic support for low-income women and children."

Maine's Chapter of the National Organization for Women said, "In his first term Sean Faircloth had a major impact on national public policy."

Faircloth had the idea for the Maine Discovery Museum in 1996 and led the project from concept to completion in 2001.

It was credited with sparking downtown revitalization.

Maine Discovery Museum was then the second largest children's museum outside Boston in New England.

In 1996 Faircloth had the idea for the Maine Discovery Museum and led that project through completion of the $4.5 million facility in 2001.

Maine Discovery Museum served as a lynchpin of downtown revitalization.

Then-Congressman John Baldacci said that Maine Discovery Museum "restored the heart" to downtown Bangor.

At that time, the Maine Discovery Museum was the largest children's museum outside Boston in New England.

Capital Campaign Director Martha Dudman stated, "Sean Faircloth's determination and attention to detail is what has made this project as successful as it has been."

"The energy and pride that we experienced in the establishment of the Maine Discovery Museum has been repeated over and over with the University of Maine Museum of Art, the library expansion and the Bangor Museum and Center for History. That pride in our community is exactly why we see the national exposure and enthusiasm to have major events like the National Folk Festival in a city our size."

Faircloth led the creation of Maine's Healthy Start child abuse prevention initiative, and sponsored the first law making possession of child pornography a crime in Maine.

Faircloth received the Outstanding Advocacy Award from the Maine Association of Community Service Providers (MACSP) in 2003, in part because Faircloth twice successfully opposed cuts to children's mental health programs.

MACSP President Jan Fraser said to Faircloth, "If there was ever the case that one person can make a huge difference, you are living proof."

Faircloth sponsored An Act To Enhance Education Services for Blind and Visually Impaired Children, which increased pay and the number of teachers for these children, as well as paid for new equipment for education for the blind.

In 2003 Faircloth initiated a first-in-the-nation policy improving school nutrition standards 24/7 in Maine K-12 schools, preventing sale of soda from school vending machines, and leading to removing "super-sizing" from schools.

For his work on child obesity policy, Faircloth was invited to speak at conferences at Harvard Medical School, Yale University, and the Centers for Disease Control.

How the Religious Right Harms Us All - and What We Can Do About It'' was released in February 2012.

In 2013 Faircloth traveled to New Zealand and Australia, lecturing at the Sydney Opera House to start policy oriented secular groups, whose model can be duplicated in other countries.

In April 2014, Faircloth spoke in the Republic of Turkey about Atatürk, the Erdogan government and Turkish secularism.

His second book, The Enchanted Globe, a fantasy adventure story that teaches geography, was published in 2016.

In 2016, Environment Maine recognized Faircloth with a gold medal in the "Mayor's Climate Olympics" for his residential rebate program, "EnergySmartBangor".

Faircloth successfully spearheaded over thirty laws, including the so-called Deadbeat Dad child support law which was later incorporated into federal law.

Faircloth had numerous legislative successes in children's issues and justice system reform.

Faircloth has spoken around the United States regarding the U.S. Constitution, children's policy, obesity policy, and sex crime law.

In 2016 Faircloth became mayor of Bangor, Maine.

He proposed and led to creation EnergySmart Bangor for residents in July 2016 to help reduce energy costs as a residential rebate program.

The organization Environment Maine selected Faircloth as the recipient of a gold medal in the "Climate Olympics," for his outspoken advocacy for renewable energy sources.

Environment Maine is a "nationwide program that recognizes leaders who promote clean and renewable energy options."

Mayor Faircloth initiated the Maine Multi-Cultural Center, securing the support of numerous businesses, in order to address the problem of loss of working-age population by welcoming New Americans.

On January 27, 2018, Faircloth launched his campaign to become the next governor of Maine.

On February 24, he dropped out of the campaign, citing his likely inability to receive public financing.

He endorsed former House Speaker Mark Eves.