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Who is Rick Bennett and what is Bennett running on in the 2026 Maine Governor race?
Rick Bennett (I) is a long shot in the 2026 Maine Governor race, with about a 1% chance of winning, according to Kalshi and Polymarket on Oct 1.
Mary Spio
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Rick Bennett is the independent candidate for Maine governor. Independent; state senator since 2020 (also 1996-2004) and former Maine Senate President. Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026.
The race
Maine GovernorPingree heavy favorite
Chance of winning: Kalshi and Polymarket, Oct 1
- The seat: Open seat (Janet Mills term-limited).
- Rating: Likely D / Lean D (Cook, Inside Elections, RCP per Wikipedia, 2026).
- Polling: Pingree 50 to 55, Charles 36 to 40, Bennett 8 (NYT/Portland Press Herald/Siena, June 19 to 26, 2026).
Why Bennett is behind
- Maine leans Democratic and has voted Democratic for president in every election since 1992.
- Pingree led by double digits in the only public general-election poll (Siena, June).
- Independent Rick Bennett, a former GOP Senate president, splits the non-Democratic vote.
- Charles’s plan to scrap the income tax and cut $4B is ambitious; even a GOP primary rival questioned whether it is feasible.
What Bennett is running on
- Housing. Proposes down payment and mortgage help for first-time buyers, reviving manufactured housing, and faster permits by removing duplicate reviews.
In Bennett’s own words
“Too many Mainers are buying their first home in their 40s.”
The other candidates
Every race
See every Senate and governor race on the ballot, with each candidate’s chance of winning: the 2026 midterms at a glance.
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