Maine Democratic Governor's Race Heads to Ranked-Choice Runoff After Close Primary

Maine's Democratic primary for governor remained too close to call Tuesday night, with former state health official Nirav Shah holding a slim lead as votes were tallied, but none of the five candidates逼近获得多数票，迫使该党求助于排名选择投票程序来确定获胜者。

After more than half of the ballots were counted by 11:20 p.m., Shah had amassed approximately 27 percent of the vote, putting him ahead of former Maine House Speaker Hannah Pingree at 23 percent and former Maine Senate President Troy Jackson at 22 percent. Secretary of State Shenna Bellows trailed closely behind at 21 percent, while green energy entrepreneur Angus King III appeared set to finish fifth, failing to reach double digits.

The near-complete deadlock means the race will now proceed to a ranked-choice runoff, a process that could take up to a week or longer to resolve. Under Maine's ranked-choice voting system, the candidate with the fewest first-place votes—likely King III—will be eliminated, and those ballots will be redistributed based on voters' second choices. If no candidate receives a majority after that redistribution, the process repeats until someone surpasses 50 percent support.

State election officials said they expect to begin the ranked-choice tabulation process Friday at a central location in Augusta, with a final winner potentially announced by the following Friday, June 19.

"I stand here before you as the clear frontrunner in the Democratic race," Shah told supporters gathered at Wild Oats Bakery & Café in Brunswick as early results rolled in.

The former director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention built his campaign around the reputation he developed during the COVID-19 pandemic, when he became the public face of the state's pandemic response through televised briefings. That visibility translated into strong support among voters who remembered his steady communication during the crisis.

"He did what he needed to do to support us, and I think he can do that again," said Anita Fournier, a retired electrologist in Portland who voted for Shah as her first choice.

At Bayside Bowl in Portland, Pingree struck an optimistic tone with supporters, posing for selfies and addressing the crowd around 9 p.m.

"I am deeply honored to be your candidate for governor," Pingree said. "I believe we're going to win this thing, with your help, and thank you all for being here with me."

Jackson, speaking at Bruno's in Portland, reflected on his decades in public service and expressed frustration that policies benefiting workers had been blocked repeatedly.

"I'm more frustrated today than when I first started 20 some years ago because that power and influence does not want to loosen their grip," Jackson told the crowd. "Together, we can loosen that grip."

Voters like Daniel Coffrin, a 33-year-old Portland resident, backed Jackson for his focus on working-class issues.

"I really like his platform," Coffrin said. "His ethos speaks to working class values, a broad social safety net and making equity and access to healthcare a priority." Coffrin listed Pingree second and Bellows third on his ranked-choice ballot.

The campaign's final weeks saw a notable shift in tone. While the five candidates had largely maintained a cordial relationship throughout the race, tensions escalated as Election Day approached. Jackson and Shah exchanged sharp criticism over negative attack ads run by outside groups, and Shah's campaign asked the state campaign finance watchdog to investigate an anonymous text message sent to voters that appeared to benefit Jackson, Bellows, and Pingree.

One development that stirred particular backlash among some Shah supporters was an alliance formed by Bellows, Pingree, and Jackson in the campaign's closing weeks. The three candidates endorsed each other and encouraged their respective supporters to rank the others highly on their ballots, a strategic move designed to maximize their chances in the ranked-choice process.

"I really did not like the way they, the other three candidates, grouped together," said Barbara Kent Lawrence, an 83-year-old writer from Maine.

"I think that's nasty business," agreed Ineke Schair, a 77-year-old Freeport resident. "I think they really did this to draw votes away from Nirav Shah."

Despite the alliances and last-minute attacks, all five candidates shared similar policy priorities, including confronting President Donald Trump's administration, addressing Maine's housing shortage, and expanding healthcare access. At debates, the candidates often joked that whoever won would likely appoint their primary opponents to cabinet positions.

The Republican primary for governor was also expected to proceed to a ranked-choice runoff, with Bobby Charles reportedly surging ahead of his opponents. The eventual Democratic and Republican nominees will face independent candidate Rick Bennett in the November general election.

Staff writer Randy Billings contributed to this report.