Senator Snowe stunned Washington in February 2012 when she announced she would not seek a fourth term. After serving in the legislative branch at the state and federal levels for 40 years, including 18 years in the U.S. Senate, she explained that Washington wasn’t solving the big problems anymore. In her book, Fighting for Common Ground, she explores the roots of her belief in principled policy-making and bipartisan compromise. Senator Snowe proposes solutions for bridging the partisan divide in Washington, most notably through a citizens’ movement to hold elected officials accountable. In 2005, Snowe was named the 54th most powerful woman in the world by Forbes magazine. In 2006, Time magazine named her one of the top ten U.S. senators.