Although born in Paraíba, she has spent her political career representing Rio Grande do Norte, currently serving as a Senator.

[1] She previously served in the Chamber of Deputies, from 2015 to 2019, and as secretary of health in São Gonçalo do Amarante from 1991 to 1992 and from 2009 to 2011.

[2] She is married to Jaime Calado, who from 2009 to 2016 was the mayor of São Gonçalo do Amarante.

[3] Maia voted against the impeachment motion of then-president Dilma Rousseff.

[4] She opposed the 2017 Brazilian labor reforms,[5] and voted in favor of opening a corruption investigation on Rousseff's successor, Michel Temer.

[6] In the 2018 Brazilian general election, Maia was elected to the Federal Senate with 660,315 votes, along with Styvenson Valentim, to represent the state of Rio Grande do Norte.