Rep. Deqa Dhalac, D-South Portland, who previously made history as the first Somali American mayor in the U.S., and who more recently became the target of Republican criticism for her past ties to a company facing fraud allegations, said Thursday morning she will not seek reelection.
Dhalac, who was first elected to the Legislature in 2022, said in a news release the “climate for Black and Brown public servants has become increasingly hostile and unsafe.”
Dhalac, a social worker and mother of three who came to the U.S. more than 30 years ago after fleeing civil war in Somalia, also mentioned “dangers” and “persistent racism, harassment, and threats that reflect a broader national pattern targeting Black and Brown elected officials.”
“These dangers are real and carry heavy emotional and physical consequences not only for those serving, but for their families as well,” Dhalac, 59, said. “No one should have to endure fear or dehumanization simply for stepping forward to serve their community.”
Dhalac’s announcement on not seeking reelection to House District 120 in South Portland came the same morning that reports emerged about the Trump administration ending its sweeping immigration enforcement operation in Maine. The operation began last week and had coincided with a crackdown in Minnesota that targeted its sizable Somali population.
The statement from Dhalac also came after a man rushed and sprayed an unknown substance on U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minnesota, during a Tuesday town hall put on by the prominent Somali American lawmaker.
Republican lawmakers in Maine called on Dhalac earlier this month to step down from the Legislature’s budget committee because she previously served as assistant executive director of Gateway Community Services, a role closely linked to a MaineCare provider that has become the subject of a fraud inquiry. Dhalac has said she worked in that role for less than one year and was not involved in Gateway billing practices. A Somali-American man, Abdullahi Ali, founded the company under scrutiny by the state.
Dhalac was also the target of a string of social media posts and videos last year from Republican gubernatorial candidate Bobby Charles, who called Dhalac a “radical Somalia-first” lawmaker.
“This decision is not a withdrawal from the work,” Dhalac said Thursday. “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.”
Dhalac became the first Somali American and first Muslim elected to the South Portland City Council in 2018, and she became the country’s first Somali American mayor three years later. In 2022, Dhalac joined Rep. Mana Abdi, D-Lewiston, as the first Somali American members of the Legislature.
Last year, she sponsored a bill that limits state and local police from working with federal immigration enforcement agents in most cases. Gov. Janet Mills allowed it to become law, citing the Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations under President Donald Trump.
Dhalac serves on the boards of Northern Light Mercy Hospital and other local groups, and she sponsored legislation in 2024 that created the Office of New Americans to help connect immigrants in Maine with employers.
A labor union leader is already planning on succeeding Dhalac, according to her Thursday announcement. Maine State Building and Construction Trades Council President Jason Shedlock will run for the reliably blue seat, Dhalac said.
“No stranger to solidarity himself, Jason has long been a powerful and impactful voice for the working class, the marginalized, and those often left behind,” Dhalac said.
She also called serving her district “one of the greatest honors” of her life and thanked her constituents.
“Together, we have worked to uplift voices that are too often excluded and to advance policies rooted in dignity, equity and justice,” Dhalac said.
