With one week until Maine's gubernatorial primary, candidates are making their final push. In the seven-way Republican race, Bobby Charles leads with 37% in a recent poll. The five-way Democratic primary is a dead heat between Troy Jackson and Nirav Shah at 28% each. Candidates are forming alliances to leverage the state's ranked-choice voting system, which will delay final results past election night.
Final week campaign activities
- ▪Democratic candidates Troy Jackson, Nirav Shah, and Shenna Bellows released statements opposing the possible closure of a birthing center in Damariscotta
- ▪Democratic candidate Angus King III pledged to visit all 16 counties in 24 hours as part of a "Build a Better Maine" tour
- ▪Republican gubernatorial candidate Jonathan Bush toured Volk Packaging in Biddeford on June 2, 2026, as part of a statewide campaign sweep
- ▪The campaign for Republican Garrett Mason is focusing on knocking on doors and calling voters in the final week
Republican primary polling results
- ▪Seven candidates are running for the Republican nomination for governor of Maine
- ▪In the same UNH poll, Jonathan Bush is in second place with 18% support, followed by Ben Midgley at 11%
- ▪A University of New Hampshire poll shows Bobby Charles leading the Republican primary field with 37% support
Democratic primary candidate standings
- ▪A University of New Hampshire poll shows Troy Jackson and Nirav Shah tied for the lead in the Democratic primary, each with 28% of the vote
- ▪Five candidates are vying for the Democratic nomination for governor of Maine
Ranked choice voting strategy
- ▪Due to ranked-choice voting, state election officials do not expect to declare a winner for either party on election night
- ▪Republican candidate David Jones publicly demonstrated his ballot choices, ranking himself first but refusing to rank frontrunner Bobby Charles
- ▪Republican candidate Robert Wessels is encouraging his supporters to rank Jonathan Bush second on their ballots
- ▪Democratic candidates Hannah Pingree, Shenna Bellows, and Troy Jackson are encouraging their supporters to rank all three of them on the ballot
Candidate policy positions
- ▪Republican candidate Garrett Mason, a former state Senate majority leader, is promoting his legislative experience
- ▪Republican candidate Jonathan Bush has criticized a new packaging law and a paid family leave program, calling them government overreach
- ▪Democratic candidate Angus King III is campaigning on plans to address rising costs, housing shortages, and workforce needs
- ▪Ben Midgley's campaign stated that Republican voters want to eliminate fraud, end illegal immigration, lower taxes, and end "woke ideology" in schools
Early voting procedures
- ▪Voters can cast their ballots early at local town offices and city halls through Thursday, June 4, 2026
- ▪Election officials advise voters to use drop boxes or hand-deliver their ballots rather than mailing them
Story comments
Loading comments…