I’m Bobby Charles’ sister. I’m voting for Hannah Pingree. | Opinion

Lewiston teacher says she cannot back brother’s bid for Maine governor

Lewiston, Maine – In a column that appeared in the Press Herald this month, teacher and mother Anita Charles explained why she will not support her brother, Bobby Charles, in his 2026 campaign for governor. The letter, written from her home in Lewiston, highlights a clash of values between the siblings and draws on Charles’ long‑standing career in education and her personal experience with sexual assault.

Charles, a 70‑year‑old educator who has spent her adult life teaching teachers in Maine, said she has lived in the state “since I was 7, aside from two early‑career years away.” She has been married for 35 years, raised five children, and has dedicated “my life to passing on the lessons my mother taught us.” She quoted her mother: “My mother taught me and my brother that how we treat other people matters.” Those principles, according to Charles, are at odds with what she sees in her brother’s campaign.

Bobby Charles, a former lobbyist who spent more than three decades working in Washington, D.C., is the Republican nominee for governor. He has not visited a Maine public school since he was 18 and, according to Charles, “speaks with false certainty about what is wrong with our schools.” The family’s disagreements, she says, “have been managed with civility” for most of their adult lives, but the “divisive rhetoric” that has become central to Bobby’s platform leaves her no choice but to distance herself.

The sibling’s disagreement centers on a handful of policy issues and past associations. Charles said Bobby has taken an “anti‑choice” stance that, in her view, would leave her “unable to make a decision about my own body” even in cases of rape. She also criticized his remarks about “schools, our vulnerable communities, and women’s healthcare.” “These conversations require more than pointing to a single standardized test score,” Charles wrote, noting that Maine teachers “navigate academic standards, special education laws, and 504 protections” while trying to meet the needs of diverse students.

A further point of contention is Bobby’s relationship with former House Speaker Dennis Hastert, whom Charles described as a “close friend and colleague” from 1995 to 1999. Hastert later admitted to sexually abusing children and was convicted of illegally paying hush money to conceal that abuse. Charles said her brother has never publicly renounced that association. For her, the connection is particularly painful because she herself was sexually assaulted by a person who had been part of her family for more than a decade. She added that her brother has known about the assault “for 50 years.”

“The values my mother taught us and the values I have spent my life passing on to others are not the values his campaign represents today,” Charles wrote. “Maine deserves leadership rooted in empathy, dignity, intellectual honesty and respect for every person who calls this state home.” She concluded: “I am casting my vote for Hannah Pingree.”

Pingree, the Democratic nominee, is a former U.S. Representative who has served Maine in Congress since 2003. She is known for her work on health care and education issues, and for her advocacy for the state’s diverse communities. While Charles’ column is a personal statement, it reflects broader concerns among Maine voters about the direction of the state’s political leadership.

Bobby Charles’ campaign has emphasized his experience in Washington and his plans for economic growth, but has also faced criticism for rhetoric that many say is “divisive” and “anti‑choice.” His campaign has not addressed the allegations of past sexual misconduct by his former associate Hastert, nor has it clarified his position on reproductive rights. The absence of a response has left some voters, including the Charles family, uneasy about his candidacy.

The column, written by a lifelong educator, highlights the intersection of personal history, policy positions, and political allegiance in a state that has long prided itself on a tradition of civic engagement and community values. As Maine heads to the polls in 2026, the debate over what it means to lead the state with empathy, dignity, and respect will likely remain at the forefront of the gubernatorial race.