Democrats Hannah Pingree and Republican Bobby Charles will compete in November to become Maine's next governor, following primary elections that concluded Friday.
Both candidates secured their party nominations after the June 9 contests advanced to ranked-choice voting tabulations. The gubernatorial race is open as current Democratic Gov. Janet Mills is termed out of office after serving since 2018.
Maine’s use of ranked-choice voting, in place for a decade, meant that if no candidate secured more than 50% of the popular vote, the candidate with the fewest votes would be eliminated, and voters' second choices would be counted until a majority winner emerged. This process was necessary in both parties' gubernatorial primaries due to the number of candidates and the distribution of votes.
Five Democrats and seven Republicans campaigned for the governor's office. Pingree, a former speaker of the Maine House of Representatives, won the Democratic nomination. Charles, a former U.S. assistant secretary of state, secured the Republican nod.
House Race in 2nd District
In another significant contest, Democrat Matt Dunlap won the nomination for Maine's 2nd Congressional District. Dunlap, a former Maine Secretary of State, will face former Maine Gov. Paul LePage, a Republican, in the race for a U.S. House seat that Democrats aim to hold.
This seat is open as the incumbent, Democratic Rep. Jared Golden, is stepping down. Golden, who has held the seat since 2018, has represented a district that has shown a tendency to support Republican presidential candidates, despite Golden's moderate Democratic victories.
The 2nd Congressional District is geographically diverse, encompassing much of Maine's rural areas, logging regions, and key fishing ports. It is anticipated to be one of the most competitive House races in the upcoming general election.
LePage, an ally of former President Donald Trump, ran unopposed in the Republican primary. He previously served as governor from 2010 to 2018.
Other Primary Results
In the race for the U.S. Senate seat held by Republican Sen. Susan Collins, oyster farmer Graham Platner won the Democratic primary by a significant margin, not requiring ranked-choice voting. Mills, who had previously run for governor, had suspended her campaign for the Senate in April.
The ranked-choice voting process concluded a busy primary season in Maine, highlighting the state's unique electoral system.