2026 Maine gubernatorial election
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 2026 Maine gubernatorial election is scheduled to take place on November 3, 2026, to elect the governor of Maine. Incumbent Democratic governor Janet Mills is ineligible to seek re-election to a third consecutive term. Although Maine has adopted ranked-choice voting, it is only used for primary and federal general elections. Therefore, the primary was conducted with ranked-choice voting, and the general election will be conducted with the traditional plurality voting system. Primary elections were held on June 9, 2026.[1]
.jpg)
 | |||||||||||||
November 3, 2026
| |||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||
.jpg)
Democrat Hannah Pingree and Republican Bobby Charles won their respective primaries, and will be joined on the ballot by independent Rick Bennett.[2]
Background
Incumbent Democratic governor Janet Mills was re-elected with 55.69% of the vote in 2022 over Republican former governor Paul LePage.[3] Maine had not elected consecutive governors from the same party since Republican Burton M. Cross succeeded Republican Frederick G. Payne after 1952.[4] Conversely, Mills's 2022 re-election, held under Democratic president Joe Biden, was the first time Mainers had elected a governor from the same party as the president since Republican John R. McKernan Jr. was re-elected under Republican president George H. W. Bush in 1990.[5]
A sparsely populated state in New England, Maine is one of the most rural states in the nation and is considered to be moderately blue, having voted for every Democratic presidential nominee since 1992.[5] In 2024, the state voted for Kamala Harris by seven points.[6] Both houses of the Maine Legislature are controlled by the Maine Democratic Party, and Maine's two congressional districts are held by Democrats. A Republican has not received a majority of the vote in a gubernatorial election since 1962, when incumbent Republican John H. Reed received 50.08% of the vote.[5] However, the state still maintains a Republican senator, as Susan Collins won the 2020 U.S. senate election.[7]
Democratic primary
Shenna Bellows, Troy Jackson, and Hannah Pingree announced an "alliance" on May 22, 2026, in which they would rank each other ahead of their opponents Angus King III and Nirav Shah; Shah was leading in most public polls.[8] Shah received the most first-preference votes, with 26.8%, followed by Pingree with 23.3%, Jackson with 21.0%, Bellows with 20.7%, and King with 8.2%. As a result of finishing last, King was eliminated and his voters' second preferences were redistributed to the remaining four candidates. Pingree was ultimately nominated after four rounds of ranked-choice tabulation, defeating Shah in the final round by a 56%–44% margin.[2]
Candidates
Nominee
- Hannah Pingree, former director of the Maine Governor's Office of Policy Innovation, former Speaker of the Maine House of Representatives (2008–2010) from the 36th district (2002–2010), and daughter of U.S. Representative Chellie Pingree[9]
Eliminated in primary
- Shenna Bellows, Maine Secretary of State (2021–present) and nominee for U.S. Senate in 2014[4]
- Troy Jackson, former President of the Maine Senate (2018–2024) and candidate for Maine's 2nd congressional district in 2014[10]
- Angus King III, energy executive and son of U.S. Senator and former governor Angus King[11]
- Nirav Shah, former principal deputy director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2023–2025) and former director of the Maine CDC (2019–2023)[12]
Failed to qualify
Withdrawn
- Jason Cherry, attorney and independent candidate for U.S. Senate in 2024 (ran for State House)[15]
Declined
- Joe Baldacci, state senator (2020–present) and brother of former governor John Baldacci (ran for U.S. House, endorsed Jackson)[16]
- Jared Golden, U.S. representative from Maine's 2nd congressional district (2019–present)[17]
- Dan Kleban, brewer[18] (ran for U.S. Senate)[19]
- Adam Lee, car dealer[20]
Endorsements
Shenna Bellows
- State legislators
- Troy Jackson, candidate for governor in 2026, former President of the Maine Senate (2018–2024) (second choice co-endorsement with Pingree)[8]
- Hannah Pingree, candidate for governor in 2026, former Speaker of the Maine House of Representatives (2008–2010) (second choice co-endorsement with Jackson)[8]
- Denise Tepler, state senator for the 24th district (2024–present) (co-endorsement with Pingree)[21]
- Individuals
- Graham Platner, Sullivan harbor master, candidate for U.S. Senate in 2026 (second choice co-endorsement with Pingree)[22]
- Labor unions
- Maine Education Association (first choice)[23]
- MSEA-SEIU Local 1989 (second choice)[24]
- Organizations
- Maine People's Alliance[25]
- Sierra Club of Maine (co-endorsement with Jackson and Pingree)[26]
Troy Jackson
- U.S. senators
- Bernie Sanders, Vermont (2007–present) (Independent)[27]
- U.S. representatives
- Statewide officials
- Shenna Bellows, candidate for governor in 2026, Maine secretary of state (2021–present) (second choice co-endorsement with Pingree)[8]
- Michael E. Carpenter, former attorney general of Maine (1991–1995)[29]
- State legislators
- Joe Baldacci, state senator from the 9th district (2020–present) and 2026 candidate for ME-02[30]
- Andy O'Brien, former state representative from the 44th district (2008–2012)[31]
- Hannah Pingree, candidate for governor in 2026, former Speaker of the Maine House of Representatives (2008–2010) (second choice co-endorsement with Bellows)[8]
- Local officials
- Mark Dion, mayor of Portland (2023–present)[32]
- Individuals
- Graham Platner, Sullivan harbor master, candidate for U.S. Senate in 2026 (first choice)[22]
- Labor unions
- American Postal Workers Union Local 536[33]
- Professional Firefighters of Maine[34]
- International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Maine State Council[35]
- International Brotherhood of Teamsters New England Joint Council 10 and Local 340[36]
- Maine AFL-CIO[31]
- Maine Building & Construction Trades Council[33]
- Maine Education Association (second choice)[23]
- Maine State Nurses Association[37]
- MSEA-SEIU Local 1989 (first choice)[24]
- Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Metal Trades Council[33]
- Organizations
- Maine Democratic Socialists of America[38]
- Our Revolution[39]
- Sierra Club of Maine (co-endorsement with Bellows and Pingree)[26]
Angus King III
- U.S. senators
- Angus King, Maine (2013–present) (Independent; candidate's father)[40]
Hannah Pingree
- Executive branch officials
- Jeanne Lambrew, former deputy director of the White House Office of Health Reform (2009–2011) and commissioner of the Maine Department of Health and Human Services (2019–2024)[41]
- Statewide officials
- Shenna Bellows, candidate for governor in 2026, Maine secretary of state (2021–present) (second choice co-endorsement with Jackson)[8]
- Aaron Frey, Maine attorney general (2019–present)[42]
- Janet Mills, governor of Maine (2019–present)[43]
- Abigail Spanberger, governor of Virginia (2026–present)[44]
- State legislators
- Lynn Bromley, former state senator from the 7th district (2000–2008)[45]
- Mark Eves, former speaker of the Maine House of Representatives (2012–2016) from the 6th district (2008–2016)[41]
- Ryan Fecteau, speaker of the Maine House of Representatives (2020–2022, 2024–present) from the 132nd district (2014–2022, 2024–present)[46]
- Drew Gattine, state representative from the 34th district (2012–2020) and 126th district (2022–present)[47]
- Brian Hubbell, former state representative from the 135th district (2012–2020)[48]
- Troy Jackson, candidate for governor in 2026, former President of the Maine Senate (2018–2024) (second choice co-endorsement with Bellows)[8]
- Matt Moonen, majority leader of the Maine House of Representatives (2018–2020, 2024–present) from the 17th district (2022–present) and 38th district (2012–2020)[41]
- Linda Sanborn, former state senator (2018–2020)[49]
- Eloise Vitelli, former majority leader of the Maine Senate (2021–2024) from the 24th district (2013–2014, 2016–2024)[41]
- Denise Tepler, state senator for the 24th district (2024–present) (co-endorsement with Bellows)[50]
- Individuals
- Stephen King, author[51]
- Graham Platner, Sullivan harbor master, candidate for U.S. Senate in 2026 (second choice co-endorsement with Bellows)[22]
- Organizations
- Maine Conservation Voters[52]
- Sierra Club of Maine (co-endorsement with Bellows and Jackson)[26]
- Vote Mama[53]
Nirav Shah
- Local officials
- Carl Sheline, mayor of Lewiston (2022–present)[54]
- Labor unions
- Maine Education Association (third choice)[23]
- Organizations
Fundraising
Italics indicates a withdrawn or disqualified candidate
| Campaign finance reports as of May 28, 2026 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Raised | Spent | Cash on hand |
| Shenna Bellows (D) | $1,788,987.24 | $1,447,114.88 | $367,068.15 |
| Jason Cherry (D)[a] | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Troy Jackson (D) | $981,248.74 | $747,698.62 | $255,494.07 |
| Angus King III (D) | $1,921,242.73 | $1,692,317.07 | $228,925.66 |
| Kenneth Forrest Pinet (D)[a] | $775.00 | $775.00 | $0.00 |
| Hannah Pingree (D) | $2,123,468.39 | $1,030,453.75 | $420,028.18 |
| Nirav Shah (D) | $1,241,045.91 | $944,715.86 | $288,331.47 |
| Source: Maine Ethics Commission[56] | |||
Polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[b] |
Margin of error |
Round | Shenna Bellows |
Troy Jackson |
Angus King III |
Hannah Pingree |
Nirav Shah |
Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SurveyUSA[57] | May 28 – June 3, 2026 | 484 [c] |
± 5.4% | Round 1 | 11% | 20% | 14% | 19% | 25% | – | 11% |
| Round 2 | – | N/A[d] | – | – | |||||||
| Round 3 | – | 31% | – | 33% | 36% | – | – | ||||
| Round 4 | – | – | – | 52% | 48% | – | – | ||||
| University of New Hampshire[58] | May 21–25, 2026 | 595 (LV) | ± 4.0% | – | 13% | 28% | 7% | 12% | 28% | 1%[e] | 11% |
| Impact Research[59] | May 19–21, 2026 | 500 (LV) | ± 4.4% | – | 15% | 24% | 9% | 16% | 32% | – | 4% |
| Pan Atlantic Research[60] | May 8–18, 2026 | 402 (LV) | – | – | 10% | 12% | 24% | 9% | 29% | – | 16% |
| GQR (D)[61][A] | May 6–9, 2026 | 500 (LV) | – | – | 18% | 15% | 12% | 20% | 32% | – | 3% |
| Schoen Cooperman Research (D)[62][B] | April 30 – May 4, 2026 | 522 (LV) | – | – | 16% | 13% | 21% | 15% | 28% | – | 7% |
| Impact Research (D)[63][C] | March 19–23, 2026 | 500 (LV) | ± 4.4% | – | 17% | 18% | 9% | 16% | 31% | – | 6% |
| Pan Atlantic Research[64] | February 13 – March 2, 2026 | 367 (LV) | – | – | 16% | 10% | 24% | 18% | 24% | 10%[f] | – |
| University of New Hampshire[65] | February 12–16, 2026 | 462 (LV) | ± 4.5% | – | 19% | 16% | 5% | 10% | 25% | 1%[g] | 23% |
| Hart Research (D)[66][D] | January 15–19, 2026 | 502 (LV) | ± 4.5% | – | 11% | 9% | 13% | 13% | 35% | – | 18% |
| Pan Atlantic Research[67] | November 29 – December 7, 2025 | 318 (LV) | ± 6.1% | – | 16% | 8% | 19% | 18% | 24% | – | 15% |
| GQR (D)[61][A] | October 2025 | – | – | – | 24% | 14% | 15% | 16% | 16% | – | 16% |
| Pan Atlantic Research[68] | May 12–26, 2025 | 325 (LV) | ± 6.1% | – | 24% | 13% | 33% | 20% | – | – | 10% |
Debates
| No. | Date | Host | Moderator | Link | Democratic | Democratic | Democratic | Democratic | Democratic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Key: P Participant A Absent N Not invited I Invited W Withdrawn |
|||||||||
| Shenna Bellows | Troy Jackson | Angus King III | Hannah Pingree | Nirav Shah | |||||
| 1 | April 30, 2026 | WMTW-TV WABI-TV WAGM-TV |
Terry Stackhouse | YouTube | P | P | P | P | P |
| 2 | May 5, 2026 | WGME-TV Bangor Daily News |
Gregg Lagerquist Mike Shepherd |
YouTube | P | P | P | P | P |
| 3 | May 14, 2026 | WCSH-TV | Rob Caldwell Phil Hirschkorn |
YouTube | P | P | P | P | P |
Results
| Democratic primary results[69] | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 | Round 4 | ||||||||
| Votes | % | Transfer | Votes | % | Transfer | Votes | % | Transfer | Votes | % | |||
| Democratic | Hannah Pingree | 50,552 | 23.3 | +4,808 | 55,360 | 26.0 | + 20,311 | 75,671 | 36.3 | + 36,079 | 111,750 | 56.2 | |
| Democratic | Nirav Shah | 58,606 | 26.8 | + 4,255 | 62,860 | 29.5 | +9,821 | 72,681 | 34.8 | + 14,269 | 86,950 | 43.8 | |
| Democratic | Troy Jackson | 45,959 | 21.1 | + 1,638 | 47,597 | 22.3 | + 12,413 | 60,010 | 28.8 | - 60,010 | Eliminated | ||
| Democratic | Shenna Bellows | 44,770 | 20.6 | + 2,279 | 47,049 | 22.1 | - 47,049 | Eliminated | |||||
| Democratic | Angus King III | 17,860 | 8.3 | - 17,860 | Eliminated | ||||||||
| Continuing ballots | 217,747 | 100.0 | 212,848 | 97.8 | 208,542 | 100.0 | 198,700 | 91.1 | |||||
| Exhausted ballots | – | + 4,881 | 4,881 | 2.2 | + 4,504 | 9,385 | 4.3 | + 9,662 | 19,047 | 8.9 | |||
| Total votes | 217,747 | 100.0 | 217,747 | 100.0 | 217,747 | 100.0 | 217,747 | 100.0 | |||||
Republican primary
All Republican candidates said that they opposed ranked choice voting. Robert Charles was particularly critical of ranked choice voting and encouraged Republican primary voters to rank him across the ballot and not rank other candidates. Charles criticized what he called "back room deals" among other candidates to encourage their supporters to rank another candidate second, claiming other candidates could not be trusted to work to repeal ranked choice voting while encouraging its use.[70][71] The candidates who endorsed a second choice were Robert Wessels, who endorsed Jonathan Bush as his second choice, Ben Midgley, who endorsed David Jones as his second choice, and David Jones, who endorsed Midgley as his second choice.
Charles would win 37.7% of the vote, with Midgley and Bush finishing with 20.1% and 19.8% respectively, and every other candidate some distance behind them. State senator James Libby, who had suspended his campaign in April but did not formally withdrawn from the race, finished in last.[72] After seven rounds of ranked-choice voting tabulation, Charles was declared the winner.[73]
Candidates
Nominee
- Bobby Charles, lawyer and former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State (2003–2005)[74]
Eliminated in primary
- Jonathan Bush, healthcare executive and nephew of former president George H. W. Bush[75]
- Garrett Mason, former majority leader of the Maine Senate and candidate for governor in 2018[76]
- Ben Midgley, former CEO of Crunch Fitness[77]
- David Jones, real estate executive and independent candidate for governor in 2006[78]
- Owen McCarthy, University of Maine System trustee[79]
- Robert Wessels, former Paris selectman[80]
Failed to qualify
Withdrawn
Declined
- Rick Bennett, state senator, former President of the Maine Senate, and candidate for U.S. Senate in 2012 (running as an Independent)[87]
- Laurel Libby, state representative from the 90th district (2022–present) and the 64th district (2020–2022)[88]
- Shawn Moody, businessperson, nominee for governor in 2018, independent candidate for governor in 2010 (initially formed exploratory committee)[89]
- Ray Richardson, political analyst and radio host[20]
Endorsements
Jonathan Bush
- Federal officials
- Peter Cianchette, former U.S. ambassador to Costa Rica (2008–2009), Republican nominee for governor in 2002[90]
- State legislators
- James Libby, state senator from the 34th district (1996–2000) and 22nd district (2022–present), candidate for governor in 2002 and 2026[85]
- Individuals
- Billy Bush, television host (candidate's brother)[91]
- Robert Wessels, candidate for governor in 2026 (second choice)[92]
Bobby Charles
- U.S. representatives
- Newt Gingrich, former speaker of the House (1995–1999) from GA-06 (1979–1999)[93]
David Jones
- Individuals
- Ben Midgley, businessman and 2026 candidate for governor (second choice)[94]
Garrett Mason
- State legislators
- Wayne R. Parry, state representative for the 10th district (2010–2018, 2020–2022) and 140th district (2022–present)[95]
Ben Midgley
- Individuals
- David Jones, real estate executive and 2026 candidate for governor (second choice)[94]
Fundraising
Italics indicates a withdrawn or disqualified candidate
| Campaign finance reports as of May 28, 2026 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Raised | Spent | Cash on hand |
| Jonathan Bush (R) | $1,709,651.00 | $2,439,491.69 | $131,659.31 |
| Kenneth Capron (R)[a] | $3,511.30 | $3,316.87 | $194.43 |
| David J. Foster (R)[a] | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Bobby Charles (R) | $1,020,570.20 | $819,932.18 | $277,293.30 |
| David Jones (R) | $529,512.02 | $401,943.87 | $123,617.44 |
| James Libby (R)[a] | $17,025.00 | $17,010.39 | $98.76 |
| Owen McCarthy (R) | $386,142.23 | $405,804.00 | $115,275.00 |
| Ben Midgley (R) | $322,263.00 | $626,642.18 | $445,620.82 |
| Robert Wessels (R) | $61,162.47 | $41,868.01 | $19,162.91 |
| Source: Maine Ethics Commission[56] | |||
Polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[b] |
Margin of error |
Jonathan Bush |
Robert Charles |
David Jones |
James Libby |
Garrett Mason |
Owen McCarthy |
Ben Midgley |
Robert Wessels |
Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SurveyUSA[96][E] | May 28 – June 3, 2026 | 466 (LV) | ± 5.7% | 17% | 34% | 2% | 0% | 10% | 7% | 11% | 2% | – | 18% |
| University of New Hampshire[58] | May 21–25, 2026 | 465 (LV) | ± 6.3% | 18% | 37% | 7% | – | 9% | 2% | 11% | 6% | 0%[h] | 9% |
| Pan Atlantic Research[60] | May 8–18, 2026 | 287 (LV) | – | 20% | 36% | 20% | – | 13% | 4% | 2% | 1% | – | 21% |
| McLaughlin & Associates (R)[97][F] | April 28 – April 30, 2026 | 300 (LV) | ± 5.7% | 11% | 47% | 2% | – | 11% | 2% | 10% | 2% | – | 16% |
| Libby withdraws | |||||||||||||
| Pan Atlantic Research[64] | February 13 – March 2, 2026 | 298 (LV) | – | 4% | 26% | 6% | 8% | 11% | 7% | 4% | – | – | 34% |
| University of New Hampshire[65] | February 12–16, 2026 | 404 (LV) | ± 4.9% | 5% | 28% | 7% | 2% | 12% | 1% | 6% | 4% | 3%[i] | 31% |
| Pan Atlantic Research[67] | November 29 – December 7, 2025 | 312 (LV) | ± 6.1% | 5% | 16% | 6% | 3% | – | 2% | – | – | – | 68% |
| McLaughlin & Associates (R)[98][F] | August 23–25, 2025 | 300 (LV) | ± 4.0% | 4% | 28% | 2% | 1% | 1% | 2% | 0.3% | 3% | 23%[j] | 34% |
Debates
| No. | Date | Host | Moderator | Link | Republican | Republican | Republican | Republican | Republican | Republican | Republican |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Key: P Participant A Absent N Not invited I Invited W Withdrawn |
|||||||||||
| Jonathan Bush | Robert Charles | David Jones | Garrett Mason | Ben Midgley | Owen McCarthy | Robert Wessels | |||||
| 1 | May 5, 2026 | WMTW-TV | Jon Chrisos | YouTube | P | A | P | P | P | P | P |
| 2 | May 7, 2026 | Bangor Daily News WGME-TV |
Gregg Lagerquist Mike Shepherd |
YouTube | P | A | P | P | P | P | N |
| 2 | May 14, 2026 | WCSH-TV | Rob Caldwell Phil Hirschkorn |
YouTube | P | P | P | P | P | P | P |
Convention vote
On April 25, 2026, the Maine Republican Party announced the results of a straw poll by delegates to the Maine Republican Convention. Robert Charles was declared the winner.[99] Unlike the primary, the straw poll was conducted without ranked-choice voting, and was non-binding.
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Robert Charles | 269 | 31.87% | |
| Republican | Ben Midgley | 230 | 27.25% | |
| Republican | Jonathan Bush | 96 | 11.37% | |
| Republican | Garrett Mason | 76 | 9.00% | |
| Republican | Owen McCarthy | 74 | 8.77% | |
| Republican | Robert Wessels | 54 | 6.34% | |
| Republican | David Jones | 45 | 5.33% | |
| Total votes | 844 | 100.00% | ||
Results
| Republican primary results[100] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 | Round 4 | Round 5 | Round 6 | Round 7 | ||||||||||||||
| Votes | % | Transfer | Votes | % | Transfer | Votes | % | Transfer | Votes | % | Transfer | Votes | % | Transfer | Votes | % | Transfer | Votes | % | |||
| Republican | Robert Charles | 49,129 | 38.0 | + 165 | 49,294 | 38.3 | + 486 | 49,780 | 39.9 | + 582 | 50,342 | 40.0 | + 574 | 50,916 | 41.2 | + 2,330 | 53,246 | 45.9 | + 6,627 | 59,873 | 60.3 | |
| Republican | Ben Midgley | 25,880 | 20.0 | + 87 | 25,967 | 20.2 | + 583 | 26,650 | 20.9 | + 693 | 27,243 | 21.6 | + 1,293 | 28,536 | 23.1 | + 3,017 | 31,553 | 27.2 | + 7,946 | 39,499 | 39.8 | |
| Republican | Jonathan Bush | 25,449 | 19.7 | + 254 | 25,703 | 20.0 | + 389 | 26,092 | 20.4 | + 682 | 26,744 | 21.2 | + 1,024 | 27,768 | 22.5 | + 3,336 | 31,104 | 26.8 | - 31,104 | Eliminated | ||
| Republican | Garrett Mason | 14,820 | 11.4 | + 185 | 15,005 | 11.7 | + 337 | 15,342 | 12.0 | + 419 | 15,761 | 12.5 | + 677 | 16,438 | 13.3 | - 16,438 | Eliminated | |||||
| Republican | Owen McCarthy | 5,033 | 3.9 | + 225 | 5,258 | 4.1 | + 270 | 5,528 | 4.3 | + 241 | 5,769 | 4.6 | - 5,769 | Eliminated | ||||||||
| Republican | David Jones | 3,740 | 2.9 | + 134 | 3,874 | 3.0 | + 174 | 4,048 | 3.2 | - 4,048 | Eliminated | |||||||||||
| Republican | Robert Wessels | 3,525 | 2.7 | + 112 | 3,637 | 2.8 | - 3,637 | Eliminated | ||||||||||||||
| Republican | James Libby (withdrawn) | 1,831 | 1.4 | - 1,831 | Eliminated | |||||||||||||||||
| Continuing ballots | 129,407 | 100.0 | 128,738 | 99.5 | 127,740 | 98.4 | 125,859 | 97.3 | 123,658 | 95.6 | 115,903 | 89.6 | 99,372 | 76.8 | ||||||||
| Exhausted ballots | – | + 669 | 669 | 0.5 | + 1,398 | 2,067 | 1.6 | + 1,471 | 3,538 | 2.7 | + 2,201 | 5,739 | 4.4 | + 7,775 | 13,541 | 10.4 | + 16,531 | 30,045 | 23.2 | |||
| Total votes | 129,407 | 100.0 | 129,407 | 100.0 | 129,407 | 100.0 | 129,407 | 100.0 | 129,407 | 100.0 | 129,407 | 100.0 | 129,407 | 100.0 | ||||||||
Independents
Candidates
Declared
- Rick Bennett, state senator (1996–2004, 2020–present), Republican nominee for ME-2 in 1994 and candidate for U.S. Senate in 2012[87]
Failed to qualify for ballot
Fundraising
| Campaign finance reports as of May 28, 2026 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Raised | Spent | Cash on hand |
| Richard Bennett (I) | $664,631.42 | $585,378.45 | $78,321.02 |
| Ed Crockett (I) | $9,116.98 | $3,982.91 | $4,589.61 |
| John Glowa (I) | $3,146.00 | $2,262.00 | $946.00 |
| Alexander Murchison (I) | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Source: Maine Ethics Commission[56] | |||
General election
Predictions
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| Inside Elections[106] | Likely D | August 28, 2025 |
| Race to the WH[107] | Lean D | June 22, 2026 |
| RealClearPolitics[108] | Lean D | June 5, 2026 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[109] | Lean D | September 4, 2025 |
| The Cook Political Report[110] | Likely D | September 11, 2025 |
Endorsements
Rick Bennett (I)
- Executive branch officials
- Christine Todd Whitman, former administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (2001–2003) and governor of New Jersey (1994–2001) (Forward; elected as a Republican)[111]
- State legislators
- Lydia Crafts, state representative from the 90th district (2020–present) (Democratic)[112]
- Mary E. Small, former state senator from the 19th district (1994–2002) (Republican)[112]
- Matthew Pouliot, state senator from the 15th district (2018–present) (Republican)[113]
- William Bridgeo, state representative from the 60th district (2022–present) (Democratic)[114]
- Political parties
Hannah Pingree (D)
- Organizations
Polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[b] |
Margin of error |
Rick Bennett (I) |
Robert Charles (R) |
Hannah Pingree (D) |
Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beacon Research (D)/Shaw & Co. Research (R)[116][G] | June 23 – June 27, 2026 | 1,003 (RV) | ± 3.0% | – | 42% | 53% | – | 5% |
| New York Times/Portland Press Herald/Siena University[117] | June 19 – June 26, 2026 | 608 (LV) | ± 4.8% | 8% | 36% | 50% | – | 5% |
| – | 40% | 55% | – | 4% |