Olympia Snowe

Olympia Snowe

Olympia Jean Snowe (née Bouchles; born February 21, 1947) is the senior United States Senator from Maine and a member of the Republican Party. Snowe has become widely known for her ability to influence the outcome of close votes, including whether to end filibusters. She and her fellow Senator from Maine, Susan Collins, are regarded as leading moderates within their party. In 2006, she was named one of America's Best Senators by Time Magazine.

On February 28, 2012, Snowe announced that she would not seek reelection in November 2012, and would retire when her third term ends on January 3, 2013. She cited hyper-partisanship leading to a dysfunctional Congress as her reason for not seeking reelection.