Maine Governor Primary: Pingree and Charles Win; Dunlap Takes House Nomination

In Maine’s June 9 primary, ranked‑choice voting was required because no candidate achieved a majority. Democrat Hannah Pingree emerged as the winner of the Democratic governor primary, while former U.S. assistant secretary of state Bobby Charles secured the Republican nomination. Both will face each other in the November gubernatorial election.

For the U.S. House, Democrat Matt Dunlap won the Democratic nomination for the state’s 2nd Congressional District after a ranked‑choice runoff. He will contend with former Republican Governor Paul LePage, who ran unopposed in his party’s primary, for a seat that is open as incumbent Jared Golden retires. The district, a large, rural area that has supported Trump in recent presidential elections, is expected to be one of the most competitive House races this cycle.

Governor Janet Mills is term‑limited, creating an open field for both parties, with five Democrats and seven Republicans competing in the primaries. The use of ranked‑choice voting, in place for a decade in Maine, allowed voters to rank candidates, eliminating the lowest‑scoring contenders until a majority was reached.