Former Republican senator and tribal ambassador to lead Pingree’s transition team

Governor-elect Hannah Pingree announced leaders of her transition team Thursday as she prepares to take over the Blaine House, including former Republican state Sen. Roger Katz and former Penobscot Ambassador Maulian Bryant.

Katz and Bryant will serve as co-chairs of Pingree’s transition committee and help identify candidates to hire for her cabinet. Their appointment may signal how Pingree intends to deliver on her campaign promises to work across the aisle and prioritize tribal sovereignty.

Both “bring the experience and judgment I want at the table as we build this administration,” Pingree said in a statement. She added that she will look for leaders who “put results first and reflect the best of Maine: integrity, accountability, public service, and shared optimism about improving the lives of Maine people.”

The transition team announcement does not mention Katz’s party affiliation. When asked about it, Pingree spokesperson Mary-Erin Casale said, “former state Senator Katz and the governor-elect have a long-standing relationship.” 

“She’s proud to have him on her team,” she added.

It’s unclear if Katz still identifies as a Republican. In 2024, he co-chaired a “Republicans for Harris” coalition, endorsing former Vice President Kamala Harris over President Donald Trump. His association with Pingree goes back much further: in 2014, they started a TV show together to discuss topics from welfare reform to gun control.

Pingree was endorsed by the Wabanaki Alliance, which Bryant leads as executive director. In October, she was among the tribal leaders who said that they are optimistic about the future of the relationship with the state. Outgoing Gov. Janet Mills, also a Democrat, had opposed sweeping change, though Pingree has committed to restoring full sovereignty. 

“No more compromises,” Bryant said during the alliance’s annual gathering last month. “We’re going for it.”  

The governor-elect’s professional staff transition team will be led by co-directors Scott Ogden and Karen Geraghty. Ogden, who served most recently as former deputy chief of staff to Mills, will coordinate “personnel decisions, legislative and policy agenda development, stakeholder engagement, and day to day operations,” the statement said.

Geraghty, former mayor of Portland who led philanthropy at Planned Parenthood of Northern New England, will direct planning of the inaugural event in January 2027.

“This transition team brings the energy, experience, optimism, and determination we need to tackle the challenges ahead,” Pingree said in a statement. “We’re ready to get things done to improve the lives of Maine people at an urgent moment.”