Three candidates for Maine’s governor – Democrat Hannah Pingree, Republican Bobby Charles, and independent Rick Bennett – participated in their fourth and final debate on Thursday evening. The event, hosted by WMTW, covered topics such as housing, education, immigration enforcement, healthcare, and the state budget.
During the debate, Charles frequently attacked Pingree, who is seen as the frontrunner, by repeating allegations about her record in the administration of Gov. Janet Mills and as former speaker of the Maine House of Representatives. Charles accused Pingree of corruption, claiming without evidence that she used her position in the Mills administration to secure a loan from MaineHousing for a nonprofit now run by her husband, Jason Mann. According to the Bangor Daily News, North Haven Sustainable Housing received an $840,000 forgivable loan from MaineHousing for rental units. Pingree stated she was not involved in the award.
Bennett, who left the Republican Party to run as an independent, used moments of finger-pointing to highlight what he described as the toxicity of the two-party system. Charles denied accusations that he has moderated his positions since the GOP primary. Maine Democrats have accused him of trying to mislead voters, an allegation he disputes.
Pingree brought up an audio clip leaked to the Bangor Daily News in which Charles said he would ask Trump administration border czar Tom Homan to send U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. marshals “to be at our voting booths.” Charles denied that he said that. “I never invited them into the polls,” he said.
On the issue of affordability, candidates differed on the causes of Maine’s current economic challenges. Pingree noted that the rising cost of natural gas and storm recovery expenses “are the primary driver of Maine’s electricity rates,” and said she would rein in utility profits, invest in clean electricity and efficiency to help make energy more affordable. She also mentioned the war in Iran and the need to become less reliant on imported fossil fuels.
Charles responded by blaming Pingree for energy prices, stating, “Hannah Ping, who served several years as director of Mills’ Office of Policy, Innovation and the Future focusing on climate, workforce development, housing, issues facing youth and older Maine people, the opioid crisis, and Maine’s long-term economic prosperity – not energy. “Hannah Pingree was in charge with Janet Mills for the last six and a half years and beyond…She owns this issue,” Charles said. He added, “That is not Trump’s fault. Now, a reminder that Maine is spelled M-A-I-N-E, not T-R-U-M-P.”
Later, in response to a question about what the candidates would do to address the closure of healthcare facilities, Pingree repeated her support for a public insurance option, increasing investments in primary care.
