Rick Bennett (politician)

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On June 24, 2025, Bennett announced that he would run for governor of Maine in 2026 as an independent, ending his lifelong affiliation with the Republican Party. [12] [13] In the months preceding the launch of his campaign, Bennett had publicly diverged from the GOP, crossing party lines to vote against a Republican bill that would have restricted transgender students from participating in school sports, and joining Democrats in voting for a bill that would limit local police in Maine from collaborating with Immigrations and Customs Enforcement. [13] He was the sole Republican to vote with the Democrats on both bills, on what were otherwise party-line votes. [13]

If elected, Bennett would be Maine's third independent governor, after James B. Longley (1975–1979) and Angus King (1995–2003). He would be the first that is a former Republican; both Longley and King were previously Democrats.

Private sector

Bennett is the president and CEO of ValueEdge Advisors, a firm he founded in summer 2014 to help institutional investors engage with their portfolio companies. From 2006 to 2014 he was CEO of The Corporate Library and then chairman or vice chairman of GMI Ratings, its successor company, an independent research firm focusing on corporate governance, director/executive compensation, and forensic accounting. For six years, Bennett was included in the NACD Directorship's "100 most influential people" in the boardroom and corporate governance community. [14]

References

  1. "Richard A. Bennett at Maine State Senate".
  2. https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=28842
  3. https://history.mainelegislature.org/Presto/search/SearchResults.aspx?q=KFNlc3Npb25zLkZpcnN0X05hbWU6KFJpY2hhcmQpKSBBTkQgKFNlc3Npb25zLntMYXN0X05hbWV8Tm90ZXN9OihCZW5uZXR0KSk=&qcf=NjJkY2RjYTMtM2Q5Zi00NmUyLWJjOTctMDA0NWVkZWNmNTRk
  4. https://lldc.mainelegislature.org/Open/LegRec/120/Senate/LegRec_2001-12-06_SP_pS1346-1356.pdf
  5. "Senate Republicans pick Bennett, Davis as leaders - Lewiston Sun Journal". news.google.com. November 20, 2002.
  6. Mills eyes GOP primary; Bennett pondering run. Lewiston Sun Journal. July 30, 2005.
  7. Bennett, Richard A. (May 27, 2006). Poll story misleading. Sun Journal.
  8. https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=510011
  9. "Rick Bennett elected as new Maine GOP chairman". 20 July 2013.
  10. Maine Secretary of State. "List of Major Party Presidential Electors" (PDF).
  11. Emerson, Anthony (2025-06-24). "What Rick Bennett's independent campaign for Maine Governor means". Anthony’s Substack. Retrieved 2025-06-26.
  12. "State Sen. Rick Bennett launches gubernatorial campaign for 2026". WCSH . June 24, 2025. Retrieved June 24, 2025.
  13. 1 2 3 "Maine Sen. Rick Bennett announces run for governor as an independent". Press Herald. 2025-06-24. Retrieved 2025-06-25.
  14. "Directorship Magazine". www.directorship.com.
Rick Bennett
Member of the Maine Senate
Assumed office
December 2, 2020
Political offices
Preceded by President of the Maine Senate
2001–2002
Succeeded by
Party political offices
Preceded by Chair of the Maine Republican Party
2013–2017
Succeeded by