Hannah Pingree campaigned in Portland with President and CEO of Planned Parenthood Alexis McGill Johnson on Oct. 29, 2026, to remind voters that their reproductive rights are on the ballot. In Kittery, Rick Bennett wrapped up his walking tour that he started in Fort Kent several months ago. And Bobby Charles held a forum in Auburn, inviting people who disagreed with him – including “Gen Z liberals” and “Somali immigrants” – to debate at the Auburn mall.
Their different approaches to the final few days of the election reflect each of the candidates’ campaigning styles: Bennett has focused on meeting voters where they’re at, Pingree has highlighted her prominent endorsements, and Charles has gone on the offensive.
“Bobby is holding a forum where he’s actually asking people to come argue with him,” Pingree, the Democratic nominee, said at her event Thursday. “I think now, five days before the election, this election is about how we actually come together to envision something better for Maine’s future.” Pingree has raised more money than both of her opponents combined. According to most recent reports filed with the Maine Ethics Commission, the Democrat raised more than $4.9 million. Charles has raised just over $2 million, and Bennett has raised slightly below a million dollars. Pingree is also considered the frontrunner in the race, having led consistently in the polls.
In a mock election held across the state with more than 12,000 students across 115 participating schools, she won with 41.8% of votes. Charles came in second with 30.4% and Bennett got 24.4% of the student vote, overperforming in comparison with the polls, which have put him between 8 and 11%.
Dueling events On a stage in the middle of the Auburn mall, Charles debated willing participants. A mother concerned about reproductive rights. A low-income high school student worried about affording higher education. A Black woman asking how she can trust him to stand up to racism. About 50 people filtering in and out Thursday evening to observe the conversations, a campaign event aimed at connecting with voters who disagree with the Republican gubernatorial nominee, though many in the audience were his supporters.
Republican gubernatorial candidate Bobby Charles speakers with high schooler Ricky Whitmore in the Auburn Mall on Oct. 29, 2026. (Photo by Emma Davis/ Maine Morning Star) Ricky Whitmore, a high school senior from Turner, who has been canvassing for the Democratic Party, asked Charles if he would commit to keeping the state’s free community college program intact. Charles said he’d want to adjust it, mentioning his disagreement with how people who recently moved to Maine can participate. Charles told Whitmore he wanted to “fortify” him in knowing that his commitment to education “is about as high as it gets.” When Whitmore asked again for a clear answer, Charles said his “instinct is that everything that’s working about the program stays in place,” before adding, “There’s an awful lot of the state that presents itself as working, but it’s not working.” Afterward, Whitmore told Maine Morning Star that he felt Charles danced around the topic. Charles had mentioned that he came from a low-income family like Whitmore. But Whitmore said he sees the free community college program “as an integral piece of how low-income families get their kids to college.” Emily Angela, a 29-year-old content creator from Lewiston, told Charles she’s faced a lot of racism as a Black woman living in Maine, a predominantly white state. “I think the biggest thing for me is having trust in who I vote for,” she said. “How can I be confident that you will stand up for racism?” Charles has faced criticism from his opponents, elected officials and civil rights groups for statements and social media posts they’ve condemned as racist, specifically targetin
