Ranked-Choice Count Could Decide Maine Republican Governor Race

Bobby Charles has what appears to be a strong lead in Maine’s Republican gubernatorial primary, though he remains under the 50 percent threshold needed to win the race outright.

According to WGME, while speaking to supporters Tuesday night in South Portland, Charles said Maine is “broken” and blamed leadership in Augusta. He pointed specifically to the state’s needle exchange programs, saying needles are showing up everywhere and that people struggling with addiction need real treatment and support.

Charles also reminded supporters that the race is not officially over and said he still needs their backing as ranked-choice voting is counted.

“It’s a moving thing to see what we’ve done here, because they believe in something bigger than just one campaign,” Charles said. “People around the state of Maine believed there was time for real change. We don’t have the final results yet, but here’s what I can tell you: our internal numbers, our pulse simulations, and everything we’ve seen on the ground tells us that as ranked choice is counted, we are confident we are going to win this primary. We are ready, and Maine is ready.”, WGME reported.

Meanwhile, Republican candidate Jonathan Bush delivered an emotional speech to his supporters Tuesday night, though he stopped short of conceding.

The news station went on to report that Bush is currently running behind front-runner Charles and also trails Ben Midgley, though vote totals have continued to shift. He thanked his family, friends and supporters, saying the campaign has been a wild ride since he launched his bid for governor in October.

Bush highlighted his business background, including his work with Athenahealth in Waldo County, and said Maine needs new leadership in Augusta to get the state back on track.

“We are celebrating. We are leaving it all on the field in the name of a noble mission for the most noble people in the world,” Bush said. “What is a better celebration than that?”

Supporter Susan Pitman Lowenthal praised Bush’s experience, saying, “He has been in the trenches and understands what it takes to move Titanics of organizations, which is what Augusta really is.”

Because Maine uses ranked-choice voting, final results in the Republican gubernatorial primary may not be known for several days.