Eleanor "Ellie" Y. Sato is a Democratic state representative for House District 109 in Maine, representing part of Gorham in Cumberland County. She was elected in November 2024 and began serving in December 2024 during the 132nd Legislature. Sato is a first-generation Mainer and first-generation American, as well as the first Japanese American to serve in the Maine State Legislature. She serves on the Judiciary Committee and advocates for access to quality housing, health care, and education, workers’ rights, good jobs, and inclusion of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander history in the state curriculum. Her prior work includes roles as a professional dancer, bartender, after-school dance teacher, personal assistant, and legislative aide in the Maine Senate Majority Office during the 131st Legislature.

Education and Political Experience

• Education: Graduated summa cum laude from Fordham University Lincoln Center with a B.F.A. in dance and a minor in political science; trained at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.
• Political Experience: Currently in her first term as a state representative for House District 109; previously worked as a legislative aide in the Maine Senate Majority Office.