AUGUSTA, Maine — The 2026 race to become Maine’s next governor reached an early milestone Tuesday when candidates had to file their initial fundraising totals, and the numbers started to hint at which contenders are separating themselves from the rest of the field.
Money has rarely been the deciding factor in Maine primaries, but the new reports that campaigns filed with the Maine Ethics Commission show a few contenders have financial advantages in the Democratic field seeking to replace Gov. Janet Mills, while the Republican side that hopes to put the party back in control of the Blaine House is more fragmented.
The fundraising updates reflect the new filings as well as information from campaigns on how much they have raised for both the primary and general elections, as some reports only captured the primary.
Former Maine House Speaker Hannah Pingree, who left her role leading Mills’ policy office in May before joining the gubernatorial race last month, led all candidates in raising nearly $549,000 through the period ending June 30, with the daughter of U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree having about $503,000 on hand to spend.
Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, who got a head start on most of the field by entering the race in March, was not far behind her fellow Democrat in raising about $529,000, with about $342,000 in cash on hand.
Former clean energy executive Angus King III, the son of U.S. Sen. Angus King, raised more than $434,000 and had about $250,000 on hand. He contributed $45,750 to his campaign, which said that is not counted in the separate total for raised funds. Former Maine Senate President Troy Jackson raised a little more than $400,000, while little-known Democratic candidate Kenneth Forrest Pinet contributed $475 to his own campaign.
Bobby Charles, a lawyer who worked for several former Republican presidents, was leading the GOP field by raising more than $325,000, with Charles contributing $70,000 of that. He has about $289,000 on hand. Entrepreneur Owen McCarthy raised a little more than $200,000 and had about $172,000 on hand. Real estate firm leader David Jones raised more than $149,000 and had almost all of it on hand to spend, and he had the third-highest amount of self-funding behind Charles and King by giving $26,700 to his campaign.
Robert Wessels, a former Paris selectman, raised more than $28,000 and had about $13,000 available to spend, while state Sen. Jim Libby, R-Standish, raised more than $5,000 while planning a Maine Clean Election Act campaign. Steven Sheppard rounded out the GOP field by raising more than $1,000. Fundraising totals for Kenneth Capron were not available late Tuesday night, but Capron noted Wednesday morning that clean election candidates with less than $1,000 by the deadline did not need to file a report.
State Sen. Rick Bennett, who recently unenrolled from the Republican Party and is running for governor as an independent, raised nearly $203,000 and had about $163,400 on hand. Independent candidates currently face a contribution limit of $2,075 per donor, or half the limit party candidates face, but a new law taking effect in mid-September will equalize the limit for all candidates at $4,150. Another independent, Alexander Murchison, did not report raising any money.
The primary elections for the gubernatorial race are set for June 9, 2026. The general election to pick the 76th governor of Maine is Nov. 3, 2026.
Billy Kobin is a politics reporter who joined the Bangor Daily News in 2023. He grew up in Wisconsin and previously worked at The Indianapolis Star and The Courier Journal (Louisville, Ky.) after graduating... More by Billy Kobin