Republican candidate for Governor of Maine Robert “Bobby” Charles issued an early statement on Monday about his fundraising results for the first quarter of his campaign for the 2026 election. In the 75 days since announcing his candidacy, Charles has raised $325,000, he said.
“This top-line number reflects unprecedented statewide support,” Charles said in his announcement. “It’s not just record setting, it’s a statement. Our fundraising is a message to Janet Mills and her far-left Democrat sycophants that the days of soft-on-crime, high-tax, big-government chaos are coming to an end.”
Campaign finance reports for the committees will be publicly released next week, on July 15. Still, Charles said his results for the quarter that ended on June 30 are precedent-setting, and exceed the results for the same period of any Republican gubernatorial campaign in state history. By contrast, in the last reported period before his first election in 2010, Paul LePage had raised $400,000 – after having cinched the GOP nomination and with weeks to go before voting.
More than 370 contributors to Charles’ campaign have given $100 or less, he said. Donors to date hail from all 16 Maine counties, he added. The candidate himself has given more than $70,000 to his campaign, he reported.
Among declared candidates, Charles faces state Sen. Jim Libby (R-Cumberland) – who in the past has run a “Clean Elections,” or publicly-financed campaign, Falmouth businessman David Jones, Patten native and entrepreneur Owen McCarthy, former Paris selectman Robert Wessels and retired accountant Ken Capron for the June 2026 GOP primary. The filing deadline for candidates is in January.
Democrat candidate and Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows announced having raised over $200,000 weeks after launching her campaign in late March. She faces off against Angus King III, son of Maine’s junior U.S. senator, Hanna Pingree, daughter of First District Congresswoman Chellie Pingree – a millionaire – and former state senate president Troy Jackson.
“While Janet Mills and her crew of enablers have let crime, homelessness, and hopelessness spread through our towns, we’re offering a clear conservative alternative,” Charles said in his statement. “We’re going to cut crime, cut taxes, and cut the nonsense.”
