The Blaine House, residence of Maine's governor, in Augusta. Sept. 5, 2023. (Photo by Jim Neuger/ Maine Morning Star)
With Maine Gov. Janet Mills set to term out after eight years, the field for the November 2026 gubernatorial election is packed with candidates with a spectrum of experience and views.
Those running as either Democrats or Republicans will first face off against each other in the June 9, 2026 primaries in an effort to win over their base and secure their party’s nomination.
Open to all Maine voters, the primaries will be a ranked-choice ballot, though the general election in November will not. With at least one political heavyweight, Maine Sen. Rick Bennett of Oxford, opting out of either major political party, it remains to be seen how that could influence Maine’s historically independent electorate.
The field is already crowded with several well known names vying for the Democratic Party nomination, including Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, former speaker of the Maine House of Representatives and daughter of a U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree, Hannah Pingree, and Angus King III, son of Maine’s independent U.S. senator.
Whoever becomes Maine’s next governor will take the helm for the remaining two years of President Donald Trump’s second term, and will have to navigate massive cuts in funding, the dismantling of federal agencies and programs, and greater pressure on states to conform with his agenda amid increased economic uncertainty.
Here’s the latest on the race for Maine governor.
Key Events
12 hours ago
Here are the Republicans vying to replace Gov. Janet Mills next November
1 month ago
Republican Sen. Rick Bennett announces independent bid for Maine governor
2 months ago
Hannah Pingree officially launches bid for governor
3 months ago
Republican state senator enters race for governor
3 months ago
Former Senate President Troy Jackson enters race for governor
3 months ago
Amid rumors of gubernatorial bid, Hannah Pingree to leave Mills administration
3 months ago
Son of independent senator, Angus King III announces run for Maine governor
4 months ago
Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows officially announces bid for governor
12 hours ago
Here are the Republicans vying to replace Gov. Janet Mills next November
By: Eesha Pendharkar - Wednesday August 6, 2025 8:04 am
Ben Midgley, a fitness executive from Kennebunkport, on Tuesday officially became the seventh Republican candidate in a crowded race for Gov. Janet Mills’ seat.
Midgley is the latest of 17 officially registered candidates vying to replace Mills, a Democrat who terms out next year. Both the Republican and Democratic primaries, slated for June 9, 2026, are open to all Maine voters. The primaries will be a ranked-choice ballot though the general election for governor in November will not.
Most of the Republican candidates listed on the Maine Ethics Commission website have not held public office at the state level, with the exception of state Sen. Jim Libby (R-Standish). Bobby Charles, a lawyer who served under former Republican presidents, and former Paris selectman Robert Wessels have also been involved in politics in different capacities.
In contrast, the Democratic field is stacked with party leaders, including Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, former Senate President Troy Jackson, and former Speaker of the Maine House of Representative and Mills administration official Hannah Pingree, among others.
Other GOP candidates, including University of Maine System trustee Owen McCarthy, tout their financial credentials while framing themselves as political outsiders. All seven appear to have varying stances on issues including the economy, education and immigration, but almost all have expressed concern about the increasing cost of living in Maine, which according to a Pan Atlantic Research poll conducted this year was the biggest concern expressed by voters.
Last updated: 12:05 pm
1 month ago
Republican Sen. Rick Bennett announces independent bid for Maine governor
By: Emma Davis - Tuesday June 24, 2025 12:03 pm
After decades of public service as a Republican, state Sen. Rick Bennett of Oxford announced on Tuesday that he is running for governor as an independent.
“My candidacy is not an indictment of either party,” Bennett told Maine Morning Star in an interview. “It’s an indictment of the party structure and parties as the solution to solving our problems.”
Calling his independent bid liberating, Bennett said he intends to take his message — one of fiscal responsibility — directly to Maine people and not a subset of the electorate, an approach he sees as a return to Maine’s independent tradition.
“I see politics beginning to slide more towards the politics of Washington,” Bennett said, “and I think we have the opportunity as Maine people to say no to that.”
Last updated: 12:04 pm
2 months ago
Hannah Pingree officially launches bid for governor
By: Eesha Pendharkar - Tuesday June 10, 2025 7:02 am
Hannah Pingree officially launched her campaign for governor after months of speculation about the candidacy of the former Mills administration official and speaker of the Maine House of Representatives.
She kicked off the campaign with several planned stops around the state on Tuesday, starting with a rally in Rockland, scheduled meetings with local leaders in Lewiston and Biddeford before capping off the day with a celebration in Portland.
Pingree left her role as head of Gov. Janet Mills’ Office of Policy Innovation and the Future, also known as GOPIF, which she held since 2019. The office was created to recommend policy solutions for some of the state’s biggest issues including climate change, housing, workforce development, the opioid crisis and more.
Last updated: 12:03 pm
3 months ago
Republican state senator enters race for governor
By: AnnMarie Hilton - Thursday May 22, 2025 12:01 pm
State Sen. James Libby is running in the 2026 gubernatorial race.
Libby, who represents parts of Cumberland, Oxford and York counties, is one of five Republican candidates contending for the Blaine House, according to filings with the Maine Ethics Commission.
The race is already starting to get crowded, with the Democratic ticket drawing notable names including Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, who announced her bid in late March, as well as Angus King III, the son of independent U.S. senator and former governor Angus King Jr., who announced his run earlier this month.
Libby is in the middle of his second consecutive term in the Senate, but he has also spent time as a state representative after being first elected to the Legislature in 1992. He also ran in the 2002 Republican gubernatorial primary.
Last updated: 12:02 pm
3 months ago
Former Senate President Troy Jackson enters race for governor
By: AnnMarie Hilton - Monday May 19, 2025 11:59 am
Former Maine Senate President Troy Jackson is running for governor in the 2026 election.
The fifth-generation logger announced Monday that he will join the Democratic primary, saying in a news release from his campaign that “too many Democrats have lost touch with working people or shown they’re not up to the fight.”
“I know what it’s like to punch a clock, live paycheck to paycheck, be treated like I didn’t matter while some billionaire got rich off my back – and how to turn that feeling of powerlessness into action,” he added.
Last updated: 12:00 pm
3 months ago
Amid rumors of gubernatorial bid, Hannah Pingree to leave Mills administration
By: AnnMarie Hilton - Thursday May 15, 2025 5:58 pm
Hannah Pingree, who has led efforts on climate and housing policy for the state, will leave her position Friday.
“I’m so grateful to Governor Mills for the tremendous opportunity she gave me to dive into Maine’s biggest challenges and lead work across her administration to chart a path to solutions,” Pingree said in a news release from the governor’s office Thursday.
Though the release didn’t specify what Pingree plans to do next, she said she will “remain relentlessly focused on the future of the state we all love.” The Bangor Daily News has reported that Pingree is expected to throw her hat in the ring for the Democratic gubernatorial primary next year.
Last updated: 11:59 am
3 months ago
Son of independent senator, Angus King III announces run for Maine governor
By: AnnMarie Hilton - Tuesday May 6, 2025 11:55 am
A familiar name has entered the race for the Blaine House, as Angus King III has announced his campaign for governor.
The son of independent senator and former governor Angus King Jr. is running as a Democrat in the 2026 gubernatorial election, according to a news release from his campaign. His candidacy paperwork was listed on the Maine Ethics Commission website Tuesday morning.
With multiple other Democrats in the race, including Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, who announced her bid in late March, and Kenneth Pinet, King III will first face a primary election next June.
Last updated: 11:58 am
4 months ago
Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows officially announces bid for governor
By: Eesha Pendharkar - Wednesday March 26, 2025 7:53 am
Secretary of State Shenna Bellows announced her run for governor in 2026, becoming the first major Democratic candidate to throw her hat in the ring.
During her address early Wednesday at the official launch event at the Hancock Community Center, Bellows said “we need leaders who will meet the moment.”
“Because while we’re paying our taxes or helping our parents measure out their medication, our country is being demolished by a greedy, unelected billionaire who thinks his dollars are more powerful than our voices…Who thinks the value of his stock portfolio matters more than the values of our community.”
Last updated: 11:55 am
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