After final debate, here’s where things stand in the race to become Maine’s next governor
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The fourth and final gubernatorial debate saw no huge fireworks Thursday evening while covering largely familiar ground.
That means the race to succeed Gov. Janet Mills remains Democrat Hannah Pingree’s race to lose.
Pingree, a 49-year-old former Maine House speaker from North Haven who led Mills’ policy office, has consistently led polling of the contest by double digits and made no huge stumbles in the debates, though she was light on specifics at times.
Republican Bobby Charles, a 66-year-old Leeds lawyer who has led a lobbying and consulting firm and previously worked in drug and domestic policy roles under former Republican Presidents Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush, expectedly and repeatedly sought to go after Pingree and link her with Mills in order to blame the two for rising energy and housing costs in Maine.
Independent Rick Bennett, a 63-year-old former state senator from Oxford who previously chaired the Maine Republican Party before leaving the GOP last year, reiterated that he is an experienced option for those tired of the two-party system, but his path to victory still looks very narrow.
If Charles surges past Pingree on Election Day, or if Bennett surpasses Charles on Election Day and competes with Pingree for the top spot, then it will be a massive surprise and a sign that the polls completely missed the mark. Here are a few quick notes on the race after the last debate.
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No national Republican money for Charles?
It did not arise during Thursday evening’s debate hosted by WMTW, but it matters for whether any sudden developments will grip the race in the home stretch.
Charles told reporters in July that he had met earlier that month with the Republican Governors Association and several Republican governors who planned to support him financially to the tune of “likely millions, and they are very committed to the idea that Maine is a pickup for them.”
If that money suddenly appears for Charles, then it will arrive with fewer than three weeks until Election Day. The Republican Governors Association did not respond to requests for comment after Charles made those comments earlier in the year, and the national support has not materialized for his campaign. Charles reported raising more than $1.8 million in his last campaign finance report, while Pingree had raised more than $4.2 million and Bennett raised about $923,000.
A political action committee with well-heeled Republican donors that was set up over the summer to support Charles has instead spent $70,000 to boost Bennett.
A rare moment of Pingree-Bennett bickering
Pingree may have heard about that infusion of pro-Bennett cash from the No Nonsense PAC, as she briefly went after Bennett during Thursday’s debate, calling him “a lifelong Republican” and noting he chaired the state Republican Party from 2013 to 2017. That coincided with the party supporting President Donald Trump and former Gov. Paul LePage in their elections.
“He didn’t leave the party until he decided to run for governor because he knew he couldn’t beat Bobby Charles because the party has gone MAGA,” Pingree said. “And again, I have respect for Rick, but I don’t think it’s fair to say that he has been independent-minded.”
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Bennett replied by alluding to how he voted against Republican proposals in the state Senate and was the chamber’s “most independent member.” Charles chimed in by noting Bennett decided to cast a Democratic ballot in the June primary.
Pingree made her rare attack on Bennett, whom she has otherwise referred to as “my friend,” after Bennett gave a line he has given in several debates about what he represents.
“We need to get back to a politics of compromise and collaboration. The party candidates can’t do that,” Bennett said. “Hannah Pingree has a D on her jersey. Bobby Charles has an R on his jersey. My jersey says Maine.”
Who gets to work in the next administration?
The brief amount of bickering between Pingree and Bennett was an exception to what has otherwise been a peaceful, drama-free set of interactions during each debate. Charles has notably gone after the two by calling them “insiders” for their years of legislative service in Augusta.
If the polls turn out to be fairly accurate, then Pingree will succeed Mills. The talk will quickly turn next month to who may join the next governor’s administration. Bennett is one name to watch if he loses the race and Pingree wins it, given their mostly amicable interactions.
But it is still far too early to say who will serve under the next governor. Campaigns are careful to not look too far ahead and publicly discuss any plans beyond Nov. 3.
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Tagged: bobby charles, election 2026, governor's race 2026, hannah pingree, Rick Bennett
Billy covers politics for the Press Herald. He joined the newsroom in 2026 after also covering politics for the Bangor Daily News for about two and a half years. Before moving to Maine in 2023, the Wisconsin. More by Billy Kobin
