About Mana

Mana Abdi is the Democratic nominee for the Maine House of Representatives from District 95 in Lewiston. If elected, she will be the first Somali-American to serve in the Maine legislature.

Mana Abdi was born in a refugee camp in Kenya, separated from her family when she was 11, and resettled in Lewiston, Maine with her mother and brothers in 2009. Mana attended Lewiston public schools and graduated from the University of Maine Farmington with a degree in Political Science and international and global studies.

Today, Mana works at Bates College in their Intercultural Education Department, where she helps low-income, BIPOC and first generation students navigate higher education. Like Mana, many of the students that she supports are the first in their family to go to college.

Mana also runs her own small business, with a partner. She does event planning, and decor for weddings, funerals, birthdays, and bridal and baby showers. Mana also serves as the VP for the Maine Youth Network: a non-profit that works to engage and educate immigrant youth on contemporary issues in their communities.

Mana lives with her brother, and they live across the hall from their mother in the same building. Being close to her family is important to her. Since she was a young person, she has cared for her mother. Her brother and her mother are disabled.

Family and community are the two driving forces for Mana’s motivation to run.

On the Issues

Education Funding

If the pandemic taught us one thing, it’s that our teachers are valuable, and without them we’d be going crazy. Going through Lewiston public schools taught me how important inclusion is in schools and how being left out can really challenge students both in school and in the community. Maine needs to continue to work to support local schools with education funding and continue to develop diverse programs and options for students.

Affordable and Safe Housing

When I was knocking and getting signatures, some of these apartments were scary to even go up the stairs. Landlords need to make sure they are providing safe and secure housing, especially for folks with young kids or grandparents at home. I want to go to Augusta to advocate for policies that will support landlords and tenants. Having clean, safe, and affordable housing is such an important issue.

Healthcare

Family is so important to me. I have been helping to care for my Mother since I was in high school and have seen how difficult it is to find your way to affordable healthcare. Navigating the health care system requires more persistence, skill and resources than should be necessary.

Rights for People with Disabilities

Making sure people with disabilities are able to live autonomously and thrive in our community requires expanding access and inclusion, both in the workplace and with housing and transportation. I used to work for Disability Rights Maine and know how important rights are and how they intersect with so many other issues- jobs, physical and mental heath, social and civic engagement.

Compassionate Drug Policy

We need more public education around drug policy that will save lives and promote safety and care. In addition, increased mental health services in Maine with more emphasis on treatment and recovery would provide alternatives to incarceration.

Keeping Young People in Maine

The government must pursue programs that incentivize living and working in Maine, especially for young people. This includes training young people for the jobs that Maine needs while also creating good-paying jobs and supporting small businesses that will provide long-term job security. Securing safe and affordable housing is also crucial to keeping young people in Maine.