Extremely Close Maine Democratic Governor Primary Headed to Ranked-Choice Runoff
NBC News projects no candidate will win a majority, sending both party races to ranked-choice tabulations to decide Maine’s gubernatorial nominees.
- On Tuesday, June 9, 2026, Maine's gubernatorial primaries remained unsettled as no candidate secured a majority, forcing both Democratic and Republican contests to ranked-choice tabulation beginning this Friday.
- Physician Nirav Shah led the five-way Democratic primary with 26.7% of the vote, while former House Speaker Hannah Pingree, former Senate President Troy Jackson, and Secretary of State Shenna Bellows formed a strategic alliance to rank each other on ballots.
- Attorney Bobby Charles led the Republican primary with 38.5% of the vote, while rivals Jonathan Bush and Ben Midgley each captured about 20%, forcing the Republican race to a ranked-choice count as well.
- Maine election officials in Augusta must collect paper ballots from across the state before beginning retabulation, with Deputy Secretary of State Kate McBrien noting that law enforcement must securely transport all election materials.
- Officials aim to announce final results for the three primary races within nine days, targeting completion before the Juneteenth holiday on June 19, as the ranked-choice system requires the eventual nominee to secure more than 50% support.
15 Articles
15 Articles
It's not over: Democratic governor's primary heads to ranked-choice tabulation
Maine’s Democratic gubernatorial primary isn’t decided yet, with the race now headed to a ranked-choice tabulation after no candidate secured a majority of first-choice votes. Hannah Pingree at her Election Day watch party. Photo courtesy of Hannah Pingree’s Instagram. In the closing weeks of the campaign, Bellows, Jackson and Pingree — widely seen as the more progressive candidates in the race — formed an alliance, urging voters to rank one ano…
Here’s the timeline for Maine’s important ranked-choice voting count
PoliticsOur political journalists are based in the Maine State House and have deep source networks across the partisan spectrum in communities all over the state. Their coverage aims to cut through major debates and probe how officials make decisions. Read more Politics coverage here. Maine election officials in Augusta are pushing hard to have final results in at least three ranked-choice primary races within nine days. On Wednesday afternoon, …
Ranked choice voting will determine Maine’s Democratic nominee for governor • Maine Morning Star
Nirav Shah speaks with reporters at his campaign watch party in Brunswick after polls closed in the Democratic gubernatorial primary on June 9, 2026. (Photo by Eesha Pendharkar/ Maine Morning Star)The five Democratic candidates for governor are headed to a ranked-choice run off after the candidates all failed to gain a majority of votes in Tuesday’s primary. As of 11:30 p.m. with half the votes counted, four of the five candidates had secured be…
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