Hannah Pingree, a Democrat and former Maine state House Speaker, is set to compete against MAGA conservative Bobby Charles in an anticipated closely contested gubernatorial election in Maine.
The two candidates advanced from the state’s ranked choice voting process early Friday morning. Pingree, who is the daughter of Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-Maine), surpassed former public health official Nirav Shah in the Democratic runoff.
Rick Bennett, an independent candidate, has also secured a spot on the ballot in the race to replace Gov. Janet Mills. Bennett, a state senator and former Maine GOP chair, left the party last summer before beginning his campaign for governor. The general election will not utilize ranked choice voting.
Republicans are aiming to reclaim the Blaine House after Mills’ eight-year tenure, asserting that dissatisfaction among voters over energy costs and property taxes could lead Charles to victory.
Charles, who led the GOP primary, previously worked in the State Department under George W. Bush’s administration before establishing a Washington-based consulting firm. He conducted a vigorous social media campaign, often targeting Democratic opponents with cartoons and AI-generated images. Despite facing a competitive seven-person Republican field, he succeeded even with larger financial backing for several other candidates.
His campaign pledges include abolishing Maine’s income tax and reducing the state’s approximately $7 billion budget by $4 billion.
Pingree served in the state House over a decade ago, ascending to House speaker from 2008 to 2010. She later joined Mills’ administration as the director of the Office of Policy Innovation and the Future, becoming one of the Democratic governor’s key advisers.
Endorsed by Mills in the gubernatorial race, Pingree was also the third-choice selection of Maine Democratic Senate nominee Graham Platner. Her leadership would likely continue many aspects of Mills’ tenure; however, Pingree has expressed intentions to diverge from the governor’s stance on issues like labor and tribal sovereignty, areas where Mills has faced opposition from progressives.
