Maine gubernatorial race enters final stretch after last debate

The final gubernatorial debate in Maine has concluded, leaving Democrat Hannah Pingree as the frontrunner heading into the November 3 election. Pingree, a former Maine House speaker and adviser to Governor Janet Mills, has consistently led polling by double digits.

During the debate, Republican candidate Bobby Charles focused his attacks on Pingree’s character, alleging without evidence that she conspired with Governor Mills to enrich her family through nonprofit grants and film projects. Pingree dismissed these claims as lies and called for a more positive campaign focused on policy issues such as energy and housing costs.

Independent candidate Rick Bennett, a former state senator, remains in the race but faces a narrow path to victory. While Charles has sought financial support from the Republican Governors Association, the race remains a contest between Pingree’s established lead and Charles’s attempts to challenge her integrity and the current administration’s economic record.