Hannah Pingree, 2026 Maine Governor Democratic candidate
Hannah Pingree
DEMOCRATIC
Speaker, Maine State House (D)
2008 – 2010
Maine state flag

Maine 2026 GOVERNOR FORECAST

Robert Charles, 2026 Maine Governor Republican candidate
Robert Charles
REPUBLICAN
US Assistant Secretary of State
2003 – 2005

2026 Maine Governor Forecast:

The Pollsmax 2026 Maine Governor forecast currently gives Democrat Hannah Pingree a 93.3% chance of defeating Republican Robert Charles. Pollsmax projects Pingree to receive 55.9% of the vote compared with 44.2% for Charles, a projected Democratic margin of 11.7 percentage points. The model currently rates the race as Likely Democratic. The forecast is updated using 100,000 simulations incorporating polling and race fundamentals. See the Pollsmax forecast methodology.

The 2026 Maine governor election features Democrat Hannah Pingree and Republican Robert Charles. The governorship is open and is currently controlled by Democrats. In 2024, Kamala Harris won Maine by 6.8%, and Democrats are expected to retain the state's governorship in 2026. Maine has leaned Democratic in recent statewide elections, but open-seat races can still draw national attention when control of the governorship is at stake.

Year
2026
Race
Governor
State
Maine
Democratic candidate
Hannah Pingree
Republican candidate
Robert Charles
Incumbent / open seat
Open Seat
Forecast rating
Likely D
Projected vote
55.9% D / 44.2% R
Projected margin
D +11.7
Forecast odds
93.3% D / 6.7% R
Forecast last updated
12:00 AM on September 30, 2026
Polling average
48.6% D / 36.5% R
Polling average margin
D +12.1
Polling last updated
12:00 AM on September 21, 2026
Polls included
6
Latest poll
University of New Hampshire — September 21, 2026