AUGUSTA, Maine — With Maine’s June 9, 2026 primary and Nov. 3, 2026 general election on the horizon, the race to replace Gov. Janet Mills is rapidly becoming a test of organization and money.
Mills, a Democrat, is term-limited and has launched a campaign for the U.S. Senate, setting up a rare open-seat contest for the Blaine House that is already attracting a deep bench of candidates across party lines.
The figures below, pulled from the Maine Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices’ campaign finance disclosure system, show where the money race stands for declared gubernatorial candidates. These totals do not include personal funds candidates may have loaned to their own campaigns, a category that is tracked separately in state reporting rules and can shift quickly as Election Day approaches.
Fundraising totals reported:
Democrat Hannah Pingree has raised $1,390,000, followed by Democrat Shenna Bellows at $1,074,000. Republican Jonathan Bush has raised $964,000. Democrat Angus King III has raised $908,000, and Democrat Troy Jackson has raised $644,000. Republican Bobby Charles has raised $541,000. Independent Rick Bennett has raised $529,000. Democrat Nirav Shah has raised $510,000. Republican David Jones has raised $440,000. Republican Owen McCarthy has raised $336,000. Republican Ben Midgley has raised $251,000. Republican Robert Wessels has raised $24,000, and Republican James Libby has raised $15,000.
Money isn’t everything in Maine politics, where retail campaigning still matters, but it buys the basics: staff, voter contact, travel, and the media needed to break through statewide. It also shapes momentum, because donors tend to follow perceived viability, and campaigns with cash can stay on TV, online, and in mailboxes long enough to define the race.
Maine’s contribution limits also structure how candidates build their war chests. Under current rules, donors can give $2,075 for the primary and $2,075 for the general, for a total of $4,150 to a gubernatorial candidate across both elections.
