Democrat Hannah Pingree won Maine's gubernatorial race on Tuesday night, defeating a Republican and an independent in a contest dominated by both local and national issues.
While votes were still being counted from across Maine, Pingree was leading Republican Bobby Charles 51.1% to 40.8% with 44% precincts reporting. Independent Rick Bennett trailed behind the two with 8.1% of the votes. The Associated Press called the race just after 11:30 p.m.
She will succeed Gov. Janet Mills, a fellow Democrat and Maine's first female chief executive.
Pingree spoke to a packed crowd of party supporters in Portland that had been celebrating Democratic victories in Maine and across the country all night.
"Tonight is actually about celebrating. We've earned it. Hug somebody, text your mom," she said to laughter from the crowd. "We've all earned it. And then we're gonna get to work."
With her victory, Pingree is continuing a political career that began more than two decades ago when she was elected to the Maine House at age 25. Six years later, Pingree was elected by her peers to serve as House Speaker, becoming the youngest woman in the country to ever hold such a position at that time.
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Pingree led in the polls — often by double digits — since winning a ranked-choice runoff in the Democratic primary in June. After her inauguration in January, she will rejoin her mother, longtime Democratic U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree, as one of the top-ranking Democrats in the state.
During her campaign, Pingree pledged to focus on the affordability issues that were top of mind for many voters in Maine and across the country. She pledged to continue or expand many of the initiatives that she spearheaded as a chief advisor to Mills for six years, including expanding access to affordable housing and addressing the climate crisis.
Pingree also promised to take steps to try to reduce property taxes and to launch a state-backed “public option” for Mainers seeking more affordable health care. But she also campaigned on her willingness to stand up to President Donald Trump, who she blamed for many rising costs.
"I've spent a lot of time thinking about my kids and your kids," Pingree said. "I think about whether they will be able to afford to build a life here, whether they'll feel safe and hopeful about the future, whether they'll inherit a democracy that works, a healthy planet, communities where neighbors still look out for each other. I believe that they will. Not because any of that is guaranteed, but because of what I have seen from Maine people, what we can do when we decide to make things happen."
By electing Pingree, a majority of voters rejected attempts by Charles to blame her and Mills, her former boss, for rising electricity and daily living costs. Charles repeatedly predicted that a Pingree administration would essentially be Mills 2.0. For her part, Pingree said she was proud of the work she had done with Mills — especially on issues like affordable housing and climate — but also said she disagreed with her in other areas.
Bennett, meanwhile, had campaigned on his ability to bridge the partisan divide as an independent. A longtime state lawmaker from Oxford County, Bennett was a Republican until last year and formerly served as chairman of the Maine GOP. But he said he unenrolled because he felt both parties had become obstacles to tackling major issues.
Maine's race for governor has been largely overshadowed by a U.S. Senate contest that's viewed as key to take control of Congress. But many of the same dynamics shaping national politics — most notably affordability concerns and opposition to Trump — were at play in the gubernatorial contest.
Pingree, Charles and Bennett all offered different ways to reduce the cost pressures on Mainers by lowering property taxes, expanding access to affordable housing and taking steps to reduce electricity prices.
Pingree thanked both of her opponents, and the Mainers who didn't vote for her.
"I hear you, I respect you, and I will work just as hard for you as I will for those who voted for me," she said. "Because this isn't about who voted for who, it's about what we can accomplish together."
Pingree led in the polls as well as in fundraising since the party primaries in June. She had raised nearly $5 million as of the last reports filed with the Maine Ethics Commission. That allowed her to air television ads and run a statewide canvassing campaign with the assistance of the Maine Democratic Party and her allies.
Charles, by comparison, raised roughly $2 million. He was not able to hit the TV airwaves but, instead, continued the aggressive social media campaign that had helped boost his profile during the GOP primary.
Bennett reported contributions just shy of $1 million to his campaign.
