Jim Dill


James F. Dill is an American politician and professor from Maine. A Democrat, Dill was first elected to the Maine House of Representatives in 2010. He was re-elected two years later in 2012. In June 2014, Dill won the Democratic primary for Senate District 5 over former State Representative Herbert E. Clark of Millinocket to replace fellow Democrat Emily Cain. He was elected to the Maine State Senate in November 2014 and won re-election in 2016 and 2018. In 2013, Dill was appointed House Chair of the Joint Standing Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry. He currently serves as Chair of both the Joint Standing Committees on Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry and Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.
On the local level, Dill has served over 20 years as Chair of the RSU 34 School Board, which represents his residence in Old Town, Maine as well as the towns of Alton and Bradley. He has also served as the Chair of Bangor's Career and Technical Education Center's board.
Dill is a professor of entomology at the University of Maine and is the Cooperative Extension pest management specialist. He is considered one of the foremost experts on insect pests in Maine and one of the pioneers of integrated pest management in the state.

Education

Dill holds multiple degrees from the University of Maine, including a BS in Biology and an MS in Entomology. He also holds a PhD in Entomology from Purdue University.

Positions

In 2017, Dill co-sponsored a bill to reverse scheduled increases in the tipped minimum wage. The minimum wage increase was passed via a citizen's initiative in November 2016.