Leadership is a word that’s overused in the world of politics. In the final days before an election, in the rush of television ads, yard signs and direct mailings, candidates will claim to have led this fight or been a leader on that bill.

But leadership can’t be reduced to a bumper sticker or defined by a list of co-sponsored bills.

Leadership in politics is about being in touch with the concerns and issues important to those that you are elected to serve. It is about having the vision and intelligence to craft solutions to the complex challenges they face every day. And it demands the courage and conviction to take on a tough fight and build support for the work you have done.

Indeed, the tragic events that occurred in Minnesota last week remind us only too vividly that now, more than ever, there is a need in politics for people who will demonstrate they can back words with action by standing up for those too often left without a voice.

When it comes to identifying a leader with a record of proven achievement and the skills to be a strong representative for the people of Maine, Chellie Pingree, candidate for the U.S. Senate, stands out as the person whose values and vision go far beyond the rhetoric of a political campaign.

While prescription drug costs for seniors are an issue that politicians have been eager to talk about in this election year, Chellie Pingree actually authored the nation’s first drug-pricing law well over two years ago. In the face of early opposition, she cajoled and convinced colleagues from all parts of the political spectrum to back Maine Rx and in April 2000, Pingree’s legislation passed with the unanimous support of the Maine Senate, and all but one of Maine’s House representatives.

Maine Rx is a bold solution to a complex problem, and passing the legislation wasn’t an easy task. Yet Chellie was willing to fight on behalf of the people of Maine, even when her opponents blocked her efforts, sued our state and took Maine Rx all the way to the Supreme Court.

Maine Rx is a shining example of leadership: recognizing a concern before it is an election year issue; doing the hard work to craft a real solution that would serve the people of Maine; and winning the backing of a vast majority in our state, even when the resources of the most profitable industry in the state are arrayed against you.

Determined leadership was again required when Maine taxpayers wanted companies receiving tax credits from the state to be responsible for how they used the money. Pingree, then Maine’s Senate Majority Leader, passed one of the nation’s first corporate accountability laws, so that when businesses received over $10,000 from the state, they had to report where the money was being spent, and commit to helping Maine’ economy grow.

You might think that corporate responsibility only became popular in the wake of recent scandals, and you’d be right. But Chellie was leading on this issue four years ago, passing Maine’s corporate accountability law in 1998, long before Enron hit the headlines.

On issue after issue, Chellie Pingree has not just claimed the mantle of leadership, she has done the work to deserve it. Whether it be passing a real Patient’s Bill of Rights in 2000, or working to increase education funding by 26 percent during her eight years in the state senate, she has proven that she has skills that will be so important in the US Senate in the next six years.

Our next senator will have a vital role to play in issues that will have a huge impact on the people of Maine.

Congress has failed to act on a real prescription drug benefit under Medicare, and while the drug manufacturers continue to work against it, seniors in Maine and across the country will remain hardest-hit by inaction. We need a leader who will stand up for prescription drug reforms that include Maine-style action to cut the costs of the medications seniors need.

The same inertia has delayed a national Patients’ Bill of Rights. While the HMOs and insurance companies stand in the way of this much needed initiative, we need a leader who knows how to cut through the political roadblocks and give patients and doctors the right to make decisions about your health care.

And while there was bipartisan support for the education reforms passed in Congress this year, they were woefully under-funded. In Maine, for example, early education was left $17 million short of what was required, and the federal government still hasn’t met it’s obligation to fund 40 percent of special education. So we need a leader who will stand up for education funding, particularly at a time when our state is being forced to cut budgets, with education high on the list of cuts.

Rhetoric alone will not get the job done. In the United States Senate, Maine needs a strong leader who can identify a challenge, develop a bold idea to meet it, build broad support behind it and take on those who would rather serve their own interests than serve the people of Maine.

If you want someone who you can count on to fight on behalf of our state and the issues we care about, I urge you to join me in voting for Chellie Pingree on Nov. 5. She’ll be a strong voice for us in the Senate, representing Maine’s values and people as a dynamic leader we can all be proud of.

George Mitchell is a former U.S. senator from Maine and Senate Majority Leader.