Deqa Dhalac

Deqa Dhalac (born 1968 or 1969) is a member of the Maine House of Representatives for the 120th District. A Somali emigrant, she served as the mayor of South Portland, Maine from 2021 to 2022, becoming the first African-born female mayor in the United States. Alongside Mana Abdi, she is the first Somali-American to serve as a Maine legislator.

Early life Dhalac was born in the capital city of Mogadishu, the middle child with two brothers. Her father, a petroleum engineer, was very politically outspoken. Dhalac described her father as a feminist because he believed in the importance of girls' education and their important role in the family unit. He died in 1989. She learned English as a child as part of her education.

Dhalac became an interpreter for Catholic Charities Maine before opening her own interpreting service, and earned two masters' degrees in policy and social work from the University of New Hampshire and the University of New England. She was assistant executive director at Gateway Community Services.

Political career In 2018, Dhalac became the first Somali-American and the first Muslim elected to the South Portland city council. She then ran unopposed in 2020. She won election to the Maine House of Representatives on November 8, 2022.

In early 2026, Dhalac announced she would not seek reelection, saying that during her time serving in the Maine Legislature, the climate has become "increasingly hostile and unsafe." Dhalac previously served as the co-executive director of Gateway Community Services, which has been under scrutiny after documents show the organization was overpaid by the state $1.7 million for Medicaid services. State Republican leaders last month requested she be removed from the appropriations committee following Gateway's referral by DHHS to the Office of the Attorney General for investigation.