The race to become the next governor of Maine is beginning to take shape — and some candidates are already establishing bases of donor support.
Initial fundraising reports filed with the Maine Ethics Commission show which campaigns are bringing in the most cash and where donations are coming from. While 2026 is far away, the data reveal pockets of early enthusiasm across the state.
More than $2 million has already poured into the Democratic race to replace Gov. Janet Mills in the Blaine House. Former House Speaker Hannah Pingree has the lead in overall fundraising, bringing in more than $549,000 through June 30.
Secretary of State Shenna Bellows is close behind, with $529,000. Angus King III, a green energy executive and son of U.S. Sen. Angus King, raised $434,000, while former Maine Senate President Troy Jackson rounded out the top four with just more than $400,000.
When out-of-state donors and small donations (which are not always reported by location) are excluded, Bellows takes the lead with both the largest amount contributed by Mainers and the greatest number of cash donations from individuals in the state. So far, she has out-raised her competitors in voter-rich parts of the state around Portland and Augusta.
But in some rural areas she’s falling behind Jackson, a fifth-generation logger from Aroostook County. Jackson has raised more than his fellow Democrats there, as well as in the rural Washington, Somerset, Waldo and Oxford counties. Rural areas have relatively fewer donors, making it unclear whether Jackson’s early dominance there is a trend that will hold. Of the Democrats running, Jackson is the least dependent on money from Portland; Cumberland County was the source of less than 40 percent of his donated dollars.
It’s not just the more rural areas bankrolling Jackson’s campaign. He’s raised more than anyone else in Androscoggin County, home to Lewiston, the state’s second largest city.
King has a fundraising lead only among listed donors in Franklin and Sagadahoc counties, though they are not his main support base. His campaign has so far been the most reliant on Portland-area money, with more than 80 percent of his funding coming from Cumberland County.
Despite having an overall cash lead, Pingree has outraised her competitors only in Penobscot and Knox counties so far.
Republican voters will also choose from a crowd of candidates, including many newcomers to state politics. That could make money a bigger factor than in the Democratic primary, where name recognition runs high.
While no Republican has managed to raise more than the top four Democratic candidates for governor, the top five GOP contenders have brought in more than $700,000 in total.
Bobby Charles, a lawyer who served under multiple Republican presidential administrations, has raised the most, bringing in just over $325,000. His campaign promises a crackdown on drugs, crime and what he calls “woke nonsense” and has earned support from donors in northern and Down East Maine, as well as Androscoggin and Sagadahoc counties and Charles’ native Kennebec County. Just under 11 percent of the money donated to his campaign came from Cumberland County, the lowest percentage of any candidate.
Entrepreneur Owen McCarthy earned about $200,000 in individual donations. The Penobscot County native has brought in the most cash from Cumberland County, but has also out-raised his competitors in Aroostook and Franklin counties.
Real estate broker David Jones raised the third largest sum among Republicans — just under $150,000. He’s raised more than his competitors in York and Lincoln counties.
Robert Wessels, a former Paris selectman, has raised about $28,000, and has managed to bring in more cash than his competitors in Oxford County. He also has more individual donations than his competitors in Hancock County.
One Republican candidate is largely left out of this data — state Sen. Jim Libby, R-Standish, raised around $5,000 and is planning a run under the Maine Clean Elections Act, which will limit private donations to his campaign.
While the primary elections will not be held until June 2026, the data suggests an early advantage for candidates like Bellows and Charles. Mainers have months to make up their minds, but whether candidates can reach them may depend on the money already being raised.
Data was obtained from each candidate’s mid-year finance reports filed with the Maine Ethics Commission. In most cases, they were filed on or shortly before July 15. Only individual cash donors were mapped.
Donations from PACs and businesses were excluded from the data. Maine does not require donor information for contributions of $50 or less, so these donations were excluded as well.
Daniel O’Connor is a Report for America corps member who covers rural politics for the Bangor Daily News and the Maine Monitor. Additional support for this reporting is provided by BDN readers.