The Chair's Page 

Chairman jOHN kNUTSON

Offering a strong sense of activism from the county level, Chairman John Knutson’s commitment is to strengthen the state party through the grassroots and by empowering the county organizations.

Elected August 12, 2007 to fulfill a term that ends in January of 2009, John brings leadership from the grassroots of Hancock County to the chairmanship of the state party. Most recently Hancock County Democratic Committee Chair (HCDC) and former Chair of the Caucus of County Chairs, John and his wife, Margaret, are both Democratic activists, dedicating endless volunteer hours and initiating successful party-building activities. John’s service as Chair is currently voluntary; he is not accepting payment but dedicating that line item to further strengthening the state party.

With Margaret and John Knutson, it is said, the Maine Democratic Party gets “a two-fer” as Chair. Under John’s leadership , the average annual HCDC budget of $5,000 rose to more than $30,000. With the help of Margaret and a strong volunteer team, the Democratic performance in the county increased dramatically. They essentially dedicate all of their available time to strengthening the Democratic Party and electing Democrats.

John is a founding member and Treasurer of Friends of Blue Hill Bay. As a past member of the Board of Liberty School in Blue Hill, he served as Treasurer and Chairman of the Finance Committee. John is a retired CPA and insurance executive, and Margaret is a retired attorney.

Together, Margaret and John have five children and four grandchildren. They live in Brooklin.