A poll obtained The Maine Wire late on Thursday shows Robert “Bobby” Charles currently leading the growing field of Republicans seeking their party’s nomination next June to compete against a Democrat and an Independent for the Blaine House in 2026.
According the survey of 300 likely Republican primary voters, Charles enjoys the support of 28 percent versus 24 percent who say they would vote for Shawn Moody, four percent who say Jonathan Bush – who has announced an exploratory committee, three percent for former South Paris selectman Robert Wessels, two percent for Falmouth businessman David Jones, Gorham entrepreneur Owen McCarthy respectively, and one percent for state Sen. Jim Libby (R-Cumberland) and lobbyist Garrett Mason.
Businessman Ben Midgley, who announced his candidacy several weeks ago, had less than one percent in the poll and 34 percent – more than a third of likely voters – remain undecided in what is still a very early stage of the race.
State Representative Laurel Libby (R-Auburn) does not appear to have been tested in the poll, which is significant because she led the field in an earlier survey conducted by the University of New Hampshire in June. Rep. Libby has not said whether or not she intends to run, but did hint at the prospect during an event in Topsham last month.
Conducted by McLaughlin & Associates for Charles’ campaign, the recent, internal survey was fielded between August 23-25, during which period mainstream media in Maine was criticizing Charles for his demand that Somali-American state declare their primary allegiance between their home country and the United States. This position may well have strengthened Charles’ standing among Republican primary voters.
On Thursday, Charles inveighed on X against pan-sexual pandas taking over the Orono Public Library.
“A Pansexual Panda statue sits at the entrance of the taxpayer funded Orono Public Library – at the entrance, where kids walk in to go to read and learn. That’s not education folks. That’s indoctrination,” Charles said.
The polling firm’s head, former Donald Trump pollster John McLaughlin, stressed in his executive summary of the research findings written for the Charles campaign that the President’s support is a key factor for primary voters in selecting their favorite and that Charles stood out among candidates as the one most closely aligned with Trump currently.
Given its sample size, the survey’s margin of error is estimated at +/- four percent.
