U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree will face her first Democratic primary challenge as an incumbent next year after a South Berwick lawmaker announced Wednesday she is running for the 1st District seat Pingree has held since 2008.

State Rep. Tiffany Roberts is serving her fourth term in the Maine House of Representatives and said her decision “isn’t about being against anyone” but rather about a need for generational change and a fresh perspective in Washington, D.C. Roberts also said she will be termed out of running for her Maine House seat next year but wanted to find a way to continue in public service.

“I’ve seen an appetite for a choice, for lack of a better word, given the history of this seat and that there hasn’t been a challenge or a primary for years,” Roberts said. “I bring a different approach to leadership and serving, and what I’ve seen in Maine and across the country is kind of a distrust in government that is a symptom of a bigger problem with complacency in D.C. We can do better.”

Roberts’ announcement Wednesday was not a surprise, as she said earlier this fall that she was exploring a run against Pingree to see if voters wanted another option.

U.S. Rep. Jared Golden, D-2nd District, was also expected to face his first primary challenge as an incumbent before he announced Wednesday that he won’t seek reelection. Both efforts arose as the Democratic Party grapples with questions about its future in the aftermath of losing the 2024 presidential election, and whether older, more established politicians should make way for younger and more progressive candidates.

Pingree, 70, of North Haven, was first elected to represent Maine’s 1st District in 2008 and has not faced a primary challenger in any of her reelection campaigns. In a written statement Wednesday, Pingree said she recognizes that “no one is entitled to a seat” but believes she has done a good job of standing up to the Trump administration on behalf of Maine people.

“I have been a consistent and outspoken voice against that agenda, and Mainers know they can count on me to keep standing up to it, because the challenges we face demand experienced, effective leaders who deliver more than campaign promises,” Pingree said.

Roberts, 45, said she holds similar policy positions and values to Pingree. But she said federal officials from both parties have become too disconnected from the people they serve.

Roberts co-chairs the Legislature’s Inland Fisheries & Wildlife Committee and previously led the former Innovation, Development, Economic Advancement and Business Committee, which she said gave her valuable insights on some of the key issues Maine will face in the future.

She also pointed to recent legislative debates on issues of data privacy and the state’s “right to repair” law as informing her on topics where Maine and other states could use federal help.

“We need a federal solution, and these are areas I’m versed in and ready to lead in,” Roberts said.

Roberts said she’s worked in marketing for about 20 years but lately has been focused primarily on her legislative work.

“Even when we’re not in session, I’m still doing things and meeting with people,” she said. “It doesn’t stop, and it’s not a job I personally can clock out of.”

As a newcomer, Roberts faces an uphill battle against a congresswoman who has steadily ascended the ranks in the U.S. House over the last 16 years and enjoyed broad support in a district that heavily favors Democrats. Pingree serves on the House appropriations and agricultural committees.

In 2024, she was reelected with 59% of the vote in the general election, defeating Republican Ronald Russell, with 36%, and independent Ethan Alcorn, with 5%.