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Hannah Pingree Wins Maine Governor Race

The former Maine House speaker defeated Republican Bobby Charles and independent Rick Bennett and will succeed term-limited Governor Janet Mills.

By Orbit Post2 min read
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Hannah Pingree Wins Maine Governor Race
Photo: Hannah Pingree for Governor, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Headshot_of_Hannah_Pingree_in_February_2026.jpg)

Key points

  • Democrat Hannah Pingree won the Maine governor race on Tuesday, November 3, 2026.
  • Pingree defeated Republican Bobby Charles and independent Rick Bennett.
  • "I am humbled, honored, and grateful to the people of Maine," Pingree said.

Democrat Hannah Pingree won the Maine governor race on Tuesday, November 3, 2026. The Bangor Daily News and Decision Desk HQ called the race at 10:29 p.m. Eastern time on November 3, and the Associated Press also projected Pingree as the winner, WMTW reported.

Pingree defeated Republican Bobby Charles and independent Rick Bennett. She will succeed Governor Janet Mills, who could not run for re-election due to term limits, Seacoast Online reported in a staff report timestamped 11:17 p.m. Eastern time on November 3, 2026. The Washington Post also reported the win the same night.

"I am humbled, honored, and grateful to the people of Maine," Pingree said. "It is the privilege of my life to be elected your governor, and I promise to work as hard as I can, every single day, for every person and community in this state."

The count

The Associated Press results feed lists the Maine governor race as called for Pingree, with 277,303 votes for her and 394 of 644 precincts reporting, or 61.18 percent, in the snapshot read on election night. A separate snapshot at 12:03 a.m. Eastern time showed Pingree with 240,950 votes, or 53.0 percent, Bobby Charles with 176,728, or 38.9 percent, and Rick Bennett with 36,551, or 8.0 percent, with 59 percent reporting. The two snapshots were taken at different points in the count, which is why the vote totals differ.

Charles told supporters he called Pingree to concede and congratulate her on winning the race, WGME reported.

A speaker returns to lead the state

Pingree, 50, served four terms in the Maine House starting at age 26. She was elected House Majority Leader in 2006 and was Speaker of the House from 2008 to 2010, Seacoast Online reported. She is the daughter of U.S. Representative Chellie Pingree, who was reelected to another term the same night.

Her win keeps the governor's office in Democratic hands as Mills leaves under term limits, and it closes a race run against a Republican and an independent challenger at the same time.

DNC Chair Ken Martin congratulated her in a statement: "Congratulations to Hannah Pingree, the Maine Democratic Party, and all the dedicated organizers throughout the state's 16 counties who delivered tonight's victory and kept this seat blue."

Timeline

  1. 2008Hannah Pingree became Speaker of the Maine House, a post she held from 2008 to 2010.
  2. Nov 3, 2026The Bangor Daily News and Decision Desk HQ called the Maine governor race for Pingree at 10:29 p.m. Eastern time, and the AP also projected her as the winner.
  3. Nov 3, 2026Bobby Charles told supporters he called Pingree to concede and congratulate her on winning the race.
  4. Nov 4, 2026A snapshot at 12:03 a.m. Eastern time showed Pingree at 53.0 percent, Charles at 38.9 percent and Bennett at 8.0 percent, with 59 percent reporting.

Sources