State Representative Deqa Dhalac, a Somali American, announced she would not seek re-election due to a hostile legislature and calls for her removal from the budget committee over her former employer’s MaineCare fraud scandal. Dhalac, who previously served as South Portland’s first Somali American mayor, was involved with Gateway Community Services during the fraud. While not directly implicated, her presence during the scheme raises ethical concerns. The speaker criticizes Dhalac’s claim of an unsafe legislature as a defensive tactic to garner sympathy, suggesting her decision to leave was strategic rather than coerced.