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Elections in Maine |
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The 2026 Maine gubernatorial election is scheduled to take place on November 3, 2026, to elect the 76th governor of Maine. Incumbent Democratic governor Janet Mills, who was elected in 2018 and reelected in 2022, is constitutionally 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. The primary elections will be held on June 9, 2026. [1]
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'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.
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. 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.
Campaign finance reports as of July 15, 2025 | |||
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Candidate | Raised | Spent | Cash on hand |
Shenna Bellows (D) | $529,044.05 | $187,397.90 | $274,291.15 |
Troy Jackson (D) | $400,409.94 | $79,504.97 | $221,479.97 |
Angus King III (D) | $434,359.93 | $182,406.40 | $237,978.53 |
Kenneth Forrest Pinet (D) | $605.00 | $306.46 | $298.54 |
Hannah Pingree (D) | $542,588.29 | $39,195.48 | $398,263.21 |
Source: Maine Ethics Commission [23] |
Campaign finance reports as of July 15, 2025 | |||
---|---|---|---|
Candidate | Raised | Spent | Cash on hand |
Kenneth Capron (R) | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
Robert Charles (R) | $325,293.78 | $26,186.69 | $290,117.75 |
David Jones (R) | $149,330.00 | $1,860.35 | $111,694.65 |
James Libby (R) | $5,055.00 | $416.89 | $4,638.11 |
Owen McCarthy (R) | $192,167.00 | $19,602.07 | $141,589.93 |
Robert Wessels (R) | $28,273.37 | $15,178.40 | $13,094.97 |
Source: Maine Ethics Commission [23] |
Campaign finance reports as of July 15, 2025 | |||
---|---|---|---|
Candidate | Raised | Spent | Cash on hand |
Richard Bennett (I) | $202,900.00 | $39,503.00 | $166,326.79 |
Alexander Murchison (I) | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
Source: Maine Ethics Commission [23] |
Source | Ranking | As of |
---|---|---|
The Cook Political Report [40] | Likely D | January 23, 2025 |
Inside Elections [41] | Likely D | August 28, 2025 |
Sabato's Crystal Ball [42] | Lean D | September 4, 2025 |
Race to the WH [43] | Tilt D | June 30, 2025 |
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: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)He's also candid about his easy endorsement from one of the state's most popular politicians: his father, who just won a third term in the Senate and served two terms as governor.
The discussion also delves into Maine's evolving political landscape, including [Moody's] potential 2026 gubernatorial run.