In preparation for the November election, Press Herald reporters Rachel Ohm and Randy Billings will discuss the referendum questions on the ballot, what a yes or no vote will mean, before diving into an in-depth discussion about the updated design for the Maine state flag with vexillologist David Martucci.
Rachel Ohm
Rachel covers state government and politics for the Portland Press Herald. It’s her third beat at the paper after stints covering City Hall and education. Prior to her arrival at the Press Herald in the summer of 2019, Rachel worked at the Morning Sentinel in Waterville, covering Franklin and Somerset counties, and the Knoxville News Sentinel in Knoxville, Tennessee, covering higher education. She has a master’s degree in journalism from New York University and when she’s not writing and reporting enjoys running, cooking and traveling to new places.
Randy Billings
Randy Billings is a government watchdog and political reporter who has been the State House bureau chief since 2021. He was named the Maine Press Association’s Journalist of the Year in 2020. He joined the Press Herald in 2012 as the Portland City Hall reporter, where his beat touched on a wide range of topics, including municipal government, immigration, homelessness, housing and social services. Prior to that, he worked at various weeklies as well as business and arts publications. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Maine, Orono. He lives in North Yarmouth with his wife and two children and enjoys the outdoors and playing his upright bass.
David Martucci
David Martucci is a vexillologist who has lived in Maine since 1974 and currently resides in the town of Washington in Knox County. He has been a flag researcher since age 14, when a teacher challenged him to write a paper to improve his grades and he discovered the language and tradition of colors, standards and flags. For six years from 1998 to 2004, he served as president of the North American Vexillological Association. David has written and published numerous articles on flags in the U.S., has been featured on the History Channel and also worked as a fact checker for the release of historic U.S. flag stamps by the U.S. Postal Service in 2000.
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