Jonathan Bush is using one as a Republican. Hannah Pingree also used one to give herself a big jump on the rest of the Democratic gubernatorial field.
Exploratory committees are an early trend in the 2026 race to succeed Gov. Janet Mills. They allow potential candidates to raise and spend unlimited sums of money that they do not have to disclose unless they officially launch a campaign. Their effectiveness has been on display in a still-growing field and plenty of names trying to get early momentum.
On Monday, former President George W. Bush and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush headlined a fundraiser for their cousin, Jonathan Bush, a Cape Elizabeth resident who said in July he was formally exploring a Maine gubernatorial bid. His committee confirmed about 65 guests attended the event at the family’s Walker’s Point compound in Kennebunkport that cost $2,075 per person to attend.
That attendance fee is not an arbitrary figure. It is the maximum individual donation amount a traditional party candidate can legally receive if they run for governor. Bush would eventually disclose the money that he raised if he runs, but he can do that on his own timeline.
It amounts to a loophole in Maine campaign finance laws. The state has not formally regulated these committees in more than 30 years, although other states such as Connecticut do. Campaigns are now relying on informal guidelines from the state’s ethics regulator that effectively mirror federal standards for congressional campaigns.
A one-page list of bullet points that Maine Ethics Commission Executive Director Jonathan Wayne put together in the spring notes that candidates need to stick to existing contribution limits and keep a record of donations received and money spent for the purpose of deciding whether to run. Opening a separate bank account is recommended.
These organizations can only spend their money on certain things, such as polls gauging interest in the candidate, telephone calls and travel tied to an exploratory bid. The commission’s advice also says candidates “should not use” a separate political action committee to cover exploratory expenses.
But that last part is “not a hard and fast rule,” Wayne said Tuesday, adding that the commission would look at questionable activity on a case by case basis to figure out whether it was compliant or not. In the meantime, candidates who eventually entered Maine’s gubernatorial field had exploratory committees help them raise money earlier this year.
Pingree, the former Maine House speaker and daughter of U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree of Maine’s 1st District, announced May 15 she was leaving her job leading Mills’ policy office. The next day, her exploratory committee quietly registered as a nonprofit group in Maine. She then officially announced a gubernatorial bid in June.
That work appeared to pay off, as she led all gubernatorial candidates in initial fundraising reports due in July by disclosing nearly $550,000 in contributions to her campaign. Other candidates who made similar exploratory announcements earlier in the year, including Gorham entrepreneur Owen McCarthy (about $200,000) on the Republican side and former Maine Senate President Troy Jackson on the Democratic side (about $400,000), were farther back.
The exploratory committee “allowed Hannah to raise some limited resources, start building an organization and have the conversations necessary to make an informed decision,” Pingree campaign spokesperson Mary-Erin Casale said Tuesday.
“Ultimately, what she learned during the exploratory phase is what she’s heard from Mainers since she launched — they want a governor who can bring people together and get things done,” Casale said.
McCarthy said the exploratory phase “is valuable because it gives you the opportunity to listen and learn what is on voters’ minds, and make sure your vision is aligned with the direction people are looking to go.”
A spokesperson for Bush’s exploratory effort said Bush was “tied up” Tuesday and declined to comment. Not all gubernatorial candidates have gone the exploratory route. Former clean energy executive Angus King III of Portland, the son of U.S. Sen. Angus King, announced his gubernatorial bid in May and raised about $434,000 in his initial fundraising report.
More importantly for King, he led the Democratic field in a Pan Atlantic Research poll conducted in May that found a third of likely primary voters would support him. But operatives noted King’s name recognition thanks to his popular father, who was Maine’s governor from 1995 to 2003, may have factored into his initial polling performance.
The same survey on declared and potential candidates had Rep. Laurel Libby of Auburn leading the Republican field with about 27 percent support. Libby has said she is taking an active look at running.