2026 Maine gubernatorial election

Last updated

2026 Maine gubernatorial election
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Party Democratic Republican
Incumbent Governor

Janet Mills
Democratic



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 term-limited and cannot seek re-election to a third consecutive term. This election will coincide with a U.S. Senate election, U.S. House elections for Maine's two congressional districts, and various other state, county and local elections.

Contents

Background

Incumbent governor Janet Mills, a Democrat, was re-elected with 55.69% of the vote in 2022 over Republican former governor Paul LePage. Mainers have not elected consecutive governors from the same party since Republican Burton M. Cross succeeded fellow Republican Frederick G. Payne following the 1952 election. Conversely, Mills' 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. in 1990 was re-elected under Republican president George H. W. Bush.

Maine is considered a moderately blue state, having voted for every Democratic presidential nominee since 1992. In 2024, the state voted for Kamala Harris by seven points. 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.

Democratic primary

Candidates

Declared

Filed paperwork

  • Kenneth Forrest Pinet [2]

Formed exploratory committee

Publicly expressed interest

  • Spencer Thibodeau, former Portland city councilor and candidate for mayor of Portland in 2019 [4]

Potential

Declined

  • Adam Lee, car dealer [4]

Republican primary

Candidates

Declared

  • Robert Wessels, former Paris selectman [9]

Publicly expressed interest

Potential

Declined

  • Ray Richardson, political analyst and radio host [4]

General election

Predictions

SourceRankingAs of
The Cook Political Report [13] Likely DJanuary 23, 2025
Inside Elections [14] BattlegroundFebruary 6, 2025

See also

References

  1. ↑ Pendharkar, Eesha (March 26, 2025). "Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows officially announces bid for governor". Maine Morning Star . Retrieved March 26, 2025.
  2. ↑ "Kenneth Forrest Pinet". Maine Ethics Commission. Retrieved November 17, 2024.
  3. ↑ Bartow, Adam (March 7, 2025). "Former Maine Senate president officially takes steps to run for governor". WMTW . Retrieved March 7, 2025.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Shepherd, Michael; Klobin, Billy (December 2, 2024). "The famous names and familiar faces considering a run for Maine governor". Bangor Daily News . Retrieved December 2, 2024.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Patten, Sam (February 24, 2025). "Contenders for the Blaine House in 2026 Start Lining Up". The Maine Wire . Retrieved February 25, 2025.
  6. ↑ Gonzales, Nathan (February 12, 2025). "House members running for governor could complicate fight for majority". Roll Call . Retrieved February 12, 2025.
  7. 1 2 3 Billings, Randy (March 26, 2025). "Shenna Bellows announces campaign for Maine governor". Portland Press Herald . Retrieved March 27, 2025.
  8. ↑ Gagnon, Matthew (May 15, 2024). "The race for Maine governor in 2026 has begun". Bangor Daily News . Archived from the original on November 11, 2024. Retrieved November 17, 2024.
  9. ↑ "Wessels declares gubernatorial candidacy plans to scooter across state" (Press release). April 25, 2024. Retrieved November 17, 2024– via Sun Journal.
  10. ↑ Rice, Andrew (December 3, 2023). "Jason Levesque says his loss is a 'cautionary tale' for municipal leaders pushing for change". Lewiston Sun Journal . Retrieved December 5, 2024.
  11. ↑ Robinson, Steve (February 19, 2025). "Travis Mills Floats Run for Maine Governor". The Maine Wire . Retrieved February 19, 2025.
  12. ↑ Quirk, David; Quirk, Corenna (March 16, 2025). "Maine's Path Forward: Shawn Moody on Business, Policy, and Politics". Q-POINT (Podcast). Retrieved March 17, 2025– via Apple Podcasts. The discussion also delves into Maine's evolving political landscape, including [Moody's] potential 2026 gubernatorial run.
  13. ↑ "2026 CPR Governor Race ratings". Cook Political Report. Retrieved January 23, 2025.
  14. ↑ "Gubernatorial Ratings". Inside Elections . Retrieved February 7, 2025.
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