Pingree and Bush Lead Fundraising in Maine Governor's Race Ahead of June Primaries

Campaign finance reports show Democrat Hannah Pingree and Republican Jonathan Bush leading fundraising ahead of Maine's June 9 gubernatorial primaries. Pingree has raised $1.9M, while Bush's $2.2M haul includes an $876,500 personal loan, reflecting a GOP field heavily reliant on self-funding. Outside groups are also spending millions, and the races' outcomes may be decided by ranked-choice voting.

Campaign fundraising totals

• ▪Democrat Shenna Bellows has raised a total of $1.58 million.
• ▪Democrat Hannah Pingree has raised $1.9 million for her gubernatorial campaign.
• ▪Republican Jonathan Bush has raised over $2.2 million, including an $876,500 loan to his own campaign.
• ▪The Republican gubernatorial field's fundraising includes over $2 million from loans or other forms of self-funding from candidates.
• ▪Independent Rick Bennett has raised $617,000 since his campaign began.
• ▪Republican Bobby Charles has raised over $780,000, not including $200,000 in loans to his campaign.

Cash on hand

• ▪Republican Jonathan Bush finished the latest reporting period with $540,000 in cash on hand.
• ▪Republican Ben Midgley has loaned his campaign $750,000, placing him at the top of the field in terms of cash on hand.
• ▪Democrat Shenna Bellows has about $725,000 in cash on hand.
• ▪Democrat Hannah Pingree leads the field with about $870,000 to $900,000 in cash on hand.

Democratic primary candidates

• ▪Five Democrats are running to succeed term-limited Gov. Janet Mills.
• ▪Former Maine CDC Director Nirav Shah has led in polls for the Democratic primary but trails in fundraising.
• ▪Hannah Pingree, a former speaker of the Maine House, and Shenna Bellows, the Secretary of State, are the leading fundraisers in the Democratic primary.
• ▪A $20,000 donation Nirav Shah made to his own campaign was listed with a former Chicago address, raising residency questions.

Republican primary candidates

• ▪Bobby Charles, a lawyer and former U.S. assistant secretary of state, led recent polls and won a straw poll at the Maine GOP State Convention.
• ▪Seven Republicans are competing in the primary for governor.

Outside group spending

• ▪Jonathan Bush's campaign and a supporting PAC, Maine Dream Inc., have reserved a combined total of more than $2 million in ads.
• ▪A billionaire-funded outside group has reserved nearly $3.3 million in ads on behalf of Republican Garrett Mason.
• ▪Maine Conservation Voters, an environmental group, has spent more than $200,000 in support of Democrat Hannah Pingree.

Ranked-choice voting impact

• ▪The outcome of the June 9 primaries is likely to be determined by ranked-choice voting.

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