2026 Maine gubernatorial election
The2026 Maine gubernatorial election is scheduled to take place on November 3, 2026, to elect the 76thgovernor of Maine . IncumbentDemocratic GovernorJanet Mills is term-limited and cannot seek election to a third consecutive term. This election will coincide with aU.S. Senate election ,U.S. House elections for Maine's twocongressional districts , and various other state, county, and local elections. Although Maine has adoptedranked-choice voting , it is only used for primary and federal general elections. Therefore, the primary will be conducted with ranked-choice voting, and the general election will be conducted with the traditionalplurality voting system. The primary elections will be held on June 9, 2026.[ 1]
Incumbent Democratic governorJanet Mills was re-elected with 55.69% of the vote in2022 over Republican former governorPaul LePage .[ 2] Burton M. Cross succeeded RepublicanFrederick G. Payne after1952 .[ 3] Joe Biden , was the first time Mainers had elected a governor from the same party as the president since RepublicanJohn R. McKernan Jr. was re-elected under Republican presidentGeorge H. W. Bush in1990 .[ 4]
A sparsely populated state inNew England , Maine is one of the mostrural states in the nation and is considered to be moderatelyblue , having voted for every Democratic presidential nominee since1992 .[ 4] 2024 , the state voted forKamala Harris by seven points.[ 5] Maine Legislature are controlled by the Maine Democratic Party, and Maine's two congressional districts are held by Democrats. A Republican has not received a majority of the vote in a gubernatorial election since1962 , when incumbent RepublicanJohn H. Reed received 50.08% of the vote.[ 4] Susan Collins won the2020 senate election .[ 6]
Troy Jackson
U.S. senators State legislators Individuals Labor unions Organizations Hannah Pingree
Executive branch officials State legislators Lynn Bromley ,Maine state senator (2000–2008)[ 31] Ryan Fecteau ,speaker of the Maine House of Representatives (2020–2022, 2024–present) from the 132nd district (2014–2022, 2024–present)[ 32] Mark Eves , formerspeaker of the Maine House of Representatives (2012–2016) from the 146th district (2008–2014)[ 30] Matt Moonen , majority leader of theMaine House of Representatives (2018–2020, 2024–present) from the 17th district (2022–present), 38th district (2014–2020) and 118th district (2012–2014)[ 30] Eloise Vitelli , former majority leader of theMaine Senate (2021–2024) from the 24th district (2022–2024) and 23rd district (2013–2014, 2016–2022)[ 30] Organizations Campaign finance reports as of January 15, 2026 Candidate Raised Spent Cash on hand Shenna Bellows (D) $1,073,785.64 $515,196.94 $558,588.70 Jason Cherry (D) $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 Troy Jackson (D) $643,571.79 $388,441.49 $255,130.30 Angus King III (D) $908,308.62 $569,200.50 $339,108.12 Kenneth Forrest Pinet (D) $775.00 $775.00 $0.00 Hannah Pingree (D) $1,389,695.59 $649,058.73 $740,636.86 Nirav Shah (D) $509,767.26 $170,422.69 $339,344.57 Source: Maine Ethics Commission[ 36]
Poll source Date(s) Sample[ a] Margin Shenna Troy Angus Hannah Nirav Undecided Hart Research[ A] [ 37] January 15–January 19, 2026 502 (LV) ± 4.5% 11% 9% 13% 13% 35% 18% Pan Atlantic Research[ 38] November 29–December 7, 2025 318 (LV) ± 6.1% 16% 8% 19% 18% 24% 15% Pan Atlantic Research[ 39] May 12–May 26, 2025 325 (LV) ± 6.1% 24% 13% 33% 20% – 10%
Rick Bennett , state senator, former President of the Maine Senate, and candidate for U.S. Senate in2012 (running as an Independent) [ 51] Laurel Libby , state representative from the 90th district (2022–present) and the 64th district (2020–2022)[ 52] Shawn Moody, entrepreneur, nominee for governor in2018 , independent candidate for governor in2010 (initially formed exploratory committee) [ 53] Ray Richardson, political analyst and radio host[ 17] Jonathan Bush
Executive branch officials Governors Individuals Campaign finance reports as of January 15, 2026 Candidate Raised Spent Cash on hand Jonathan Bush (R) $964,451.00 $717,809.34 $623,141.66 Kenneth Capron (R) $3,511.30 $3,316.87 $194.43 David J. Foster (R) $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 Robert Charles (R) $543,972.66 $316,378.85 $307,593.81 David Jones (R) $439,776.84 $212,470.03 $339,108.12 James Libby (R) $14,745.00 $14,355.85 $389.15 Owen McCarthy (R) $336,472.00 $176,120.07 $215,351.93 Ben Midgley (R) $251,328.00 $235,991.50 $265,336.50 Robert Wessels (R) $41,535.90 $24,708.94 $16,826.96 Source: Maine Ethics Commission[ 36]
Poll source Date(s) Sample[ a] Margin Jonathan Robert David James Garrett Owen Ben Robert Other Undecided Pan Atlantic Research[ 38] November 29–December 7, 2025 312 (LV) ± 6.1% 5% 16% 6% 3% – 2% – – – 68% McLaughlin & Associates (R)[ 56] [ B] August 23–August 25, 2025 300 (LV) ± 4.0% 4% 28% 2% 1% 1% 2% 0.3% 3% 23%[ b] 34%
Hypothetical polling
Poll source Date(s) Sample[ a] Marginof error Rick Jonathan Robert Laurel Garrett Shawn Bruce Trey Pan Atlantic Research[ 39] May 12 – May 26, 2025 293 (LV) ± 8.4% 14% 9% 14% 27% 10% 21% 23% 10%
Alexander Murchison, mechanical engineer[ 60] Rick Bennett
Statewide officials Political parties Campaign finance reports as of January 15, 2026 Candidate Raised Spent Cash on hand Richard Bennett (I) $528,570.00 $295,446.09 $233,123.91 Ed Crockett (I) $9,116.98 $1,250.85 $7,866.13 John Glowa (I) $118.00 $0.00 $118.00 Alexander Murchison (I) $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 Source: Maine Ethics Commission[ 36]
^ "2026 State Primary Election Dates" .National Conference of State Legislatures . RetrievedMay 23, 2025 .^ Mistler, Steve (November 9, 2022)."Maine Gov. Janet Mills wins second term, defeating former GOP Gov. Paul LePage" .NPR . RetrievedJanuary 20, 2026 . ^a b Pendharkar, Eesha (March 26, 2025)."Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows officially announces bid for governor" .Maine Morning Star . RetrievedMarch 26, 2025 . ^a b c "Maine Election Returns" .www.maine.gov . RetrievedJanuary 20, 2026 .^ "2024 Maine Election Results" .AP News . RetrievedJanuary 20, 2026 .^ https://www.pbs.org/newshour/amp/politics/gop-sen-susan-collins-wins-reelection-in-maine ^ "Attorney Jason Cherry announces 2026 gubernatorial bid" .WCSH . RetrievedSeptember 11, 2025 .^ Hilton, Annmarie (May 19, 2025)."Former Senate President Troy Jackson enters race for governor" .Maine Morning Star . RetrievedMay 19, 2025 . ^ Everett, Burgess (May 6, 2025)."King of Maine? Angus King III launches governor bid" .Semafor ^a b "Angus King III leads Democrats in the 1st poll of 2026 Maine governor's race" .WGME . RetrievedJuly 15, 2025 .^ Flisiuk, Francis (June 10, 2025)."Hannah Pingree announces campaign for Maine Governor" .WMTW . RetrievedJune 10, 2025 . ^ Miller, Kevin (October 20, 2025)."Former Maine CDC director, Dr. Nirav Shah, joins Democratic race for governor" .Maine Public Broadcasting Network . RetrievedOctober 20, 2025 . ^ @JoeBaldacci (March 30, 2025)."Many, many nice people have asked if I was interested in running for Governor. I have no plans to do so because I am supporting my friend and former colleague and former Senate President Troy Jackson for Governor" (Tweet ) – viaTwitter . ^ Kobin, Billy (May 20, 2025)."Jared Golden will run for reelection in Maine's 2nd District in 2026" .Bangor Daily News . RetrievedMay 20, 2025 . ^ Shepherd, Michael (May 6, 2025)."Angus King's son will run for governor as a Democrat in 2026" .Bangor Daily News . RetrievedMay 8, 2025 . ^ Goldmacher, Shane (September 3, 2025)."Dan Kleban Joins Maine Democratic Primary, Seeking to Unseat Senator Susan Collins" .The New York Times . RetrievedSeptember 3, 2025 . ^a b Shepherd, Michael; Klobin, Billy (December 2, 2024)."The famous names and familiar faces considering a run for Maine governor" .Bangor Daily News . RetrievedDecember 2, 2024 . ^ "Endorsements" .Maine People's Alliance . RetrievedNovember 13, 2025 .^ Burns, Christopher (May 21, 2025)."Bernie Sanders endorses Troy Jackson for Maine's next governor" .Bangor Daily News . RetrievedMay 21, 2025 . ^ Brodey, Sam; Pindell, James (June 10, 2025)."Fresher faces, same names: Meet New England's new crop of politicians' relatives who are looking at elected office" .Boston Globe . RetrievedJune 12, 2025 . ^a b O'Brien, Andy (July 21, 2025)."Help Us Put a Working Class Candidate in the Blaine House" .MaineAFL-CIO . RetrievedAugust 13, 2025 . ^ @PollTracker2024 (February 6, 2026)."Dan Osborn, who's running for the US Senate in Nebraska as an independent, endorses Democrat Troy Jackson for Maine Governor" (Tweet ) – viaTwitter . ^a b c Graham, Gillian (May 19, 2025)."Troy Jackson announces run for Maine governor" .Portland Press Herald Archived from the original on May 20, 2025. RetrievedAugust 13, 2025 . ^ "Professional Fire Fighters of Maine Endorse Troy Jackson for Governor | Maine AFL-CIO" .maineaflcio.org . September 19, 2025. RetrievedFebruary 9, 2026 .^ Stockford, Griffin (May 19, 2025)."Former Maine Senate President Troy Jackson running for governor in 2026" .News Center Maine . RetrievedAugust 13, 2025 . ^ Teamsters Joint Council 10 [@NewEnglandTeamsters] (May 20, 2025)."Maine Teamsters Endorse Troy Jackson for Governor: Teamsters Local 340 joined major unions today to back Troy Jackson's campaign for Governor of Maine" .Facebook . RetrievedAugust 13, 2025 .{{cite web }}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link )^ "Platner and Jackson endorsed by Maine State Nurses Association" .WMTW-TV . RetrievedSeptember 18, 2025 .^ "Troy Jackson for Governor - Maine" .Our Revolution . RetrievedAugust 14, 2025 .^ Everett, Burgess (May 6, 2025)."King of Maine? Angus King III launches governor bid" .Semafor . RetrievedAugust 13, 2025 .He's also candid about his easy endorsement from one of the state's most popular politicians: his father, who just won a third term in the Senate and served two terms as governor. ^a b c d McCauley, Lauren; Hilton, AnnMarie (November 7, 2025)."Maine House Speaker Fecteau backs Pingree for governor • Maine Morning Star" .Maine Morning Star . RetrievedNovember 13, 2025 . ^ Bromley, Lynn (December 26, 2025)."Coalition-builder Pingree is the governor Maine needs | Letter" .Centralmaine.com . RetrievedJanuary 27, 2026 . ^ Flisiuk, Francis (November 7, 2025)."Maine House speaker to endorse Hannah Pingree for governor" .WMTW . RetrievedNovember 7, 2025 . ^ "Vote Mama PAC | Candidates" .Vote Mama PAC . RetrievedOctober 20, 2025 .^ "With rare primary endorsement, environmental PAC backs Hannah Pingree for Maine governor • Maine Morning Star" .Maine Morning Star . RetrievedDecember 2, 2025 .^ "314 Action Fund Endorses Nirav Shah for Maine Governor" .3.14 Action . December 16, 2025. RetrievedDecember 16, 2025 .^a b c "Maine Ethics Commission - Candidates" . RetrievedJuly 30, 2025 .^ "Dr. Nirav Shah the Leader in Just-Completed Survey of Maine Democratic Primary Voters" .Hart Research . January 26, 2026. RetrievedJanuary 26, 2026 .^a b "67th OMNIBUS POLL" (PDF) .panatlanticresearch.com/ . RetrievedDecember 27, 2025 .^a b "66th OMNIBUS POLL" (PDF) .WGME . RetrievedJanuary 4, 2026 .^ Kobin, Billy (October 8, 2025)."Jonathan Bush joins the Republican field vying to become Maine governor" .Bangor Daily News . RetrievedOctober 8, 2025 . ^ "Ken Capron announces run for Maine governor in 2026 race" .WCSH . RetrievedMay 27, 2025 .^ Kobin, Billy (April 15, 2025)."He served under George W. Bush. Now he's running for Maine governor" .Bangor Daily News . RetrievedApril 15, 2025 . ^ "Maine Ethics Commission -- David J. Foster" .mainecampaignfinance.com . RetrievedJanuary 3, 2026 .^ Cover, Susan (May 20, 2025)."Falmouth Republican launches bid for Maine governor in 2026" .Spectrum News . RetrievedMay 20, 2025 . ^ St Pierre, Ariana (May 22, 2025)."Sen. James Libby running for governor of Maine" .WGME-TV . RetrievedMay 22, 2025 . ^ Shepherd, Michael (January 7, 2026)."Garrett Mason runs for Maine governor with the help of a top JD Vance ally" .Bangor Daily News . RetrievedJanuary 7, 2026 . ^ "Businessman Owen McCarthy joins Gubernatorial race" .WABI-TV . RetrievedJune 11, 2025 .^ Kobin, Billy (August 5, 2025)."Former fitness executive Ben Midgley joins Maine Republican governor's race" .Bangor Daily News . RetrievedAugust 6, 2025 . ^ Patten, Sam (February 24, 2025)."Contenders for the Blaine House in 2026 Start Lining Up" .The Maine Wire . RetrievedFebruary 25, 2025 . ^ "Steven Christopher Sheppard -- Maine Campaign Finance" .Maine Campaign Finance . RetrievedJuly 27, 2025 .^a b "State Sen. Rick Bennett launches gubernatorial campaign for 2026" .WCSH . RetrievedJune 24, 2025 .^ Flisiuk, Francis (November 17, 2025)."Maine Rep. Laurel Libby won't seek reelection, announces launch of conservative super PAC" .WMTW . RetrievedNovember 17, 2025 . ^ "Shawn Moody Suspends Gubernatorial Campaign Amid Health Concerns" .Newsradio WGAN . RetrievedJanuary 5, 2026 .^a b Kobin, Billy (August 11, 2025)."George W. Bush and Jeb Bush raise money for cousin exploring Maine governor run" .Bangor Daily News . RetrievedFebruary 12, 2026 . ^ Reed, Russ (October 8, 2025)."Jonathan Bush announces he's running for governor of Maine" .WMTW . RetrievedOctober 8, 2025 . ^ "Bobby Charles Leads GOP Gubernatorial Field in His Own Internal Poll — More Than a Third Still Undecided" .The Maine Wire . August 29, 2025. RetrievedFebruary 5, 2026 .^ Johnson, Drew (September 24, 2025)."Longtime Portland lawmaker enters race for Maine governor as an independent" .Portland Press Herald . RetrievedSeptember 25, 2025 . ^ Cover, Susan (April 18, 2025)."Republican focused on fighting crime launches bid for Maine governor" .Spectrum News . RetrievedJune 2, 2025 . ^ "Derek Levasseur enters Maine governor race" .WGME . November 7, 2025. RetrievedNovember 26, 2025 .^ Billings, Randy (May 15, 2025)."Hannah Pingree to step down from Mills administration" .Portland Press Herald . RetrievedMay 19, 2025 . ^a b Mundry, Jackie (November 20, 2025)."Former New Jersey governor campaigns in Maine for Rick Bennett" .WMTW . RetrievedNovember 20, 2025 . ^ "2026 CPR Governor Race ratings" .The Cook Political Report . RetrievedJanuary 23, 2025 .^ "Gubernatorial Ratings" .Inside Elections . RetrievedFebruary 7, 2025 .^ "2026 Governor" .Sabato's Crystal Ball . RetrievedMay 1, 2025 .^ "Governor Forecast - 2026-2026" .Race to the WH . RetrievedJune 30, 2025 .^a b c Key: ^ Shawn Moody with 23% ^ Poll commissioned by Shah's campaign. ^ Poll was commissioned by Charles' campaign Official campaign websites
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