Hannah Pingree was declared the winner in the Democratic primary for governor early Friday morning, beating Nirav Shah’s lead. This came following a close five-way race, where clean energy entrepreneur Angus King III was the first candidate to be eliminated, followed by Shenna Bellows and Troy Jackson.
Pingree will take on Bobby Charles, the winner of the Republican primary after a ranked-choice runoff, and independent Rick Bennett, in November’s race to succeed Democratic Gov. Janet Mills.
Pingree said in a statement issued on Friday morning, that she was grateful for the results and thanked voters, as well as the other Democratic candidates. “I’m grateful, I’m ready and there is no time to waste,” she said. “Heading into November, I need all of you — whether I was your first choice or your fifth or you didn’t participate in the primary at all — because beating Bobby Charles and Rick Bennett requires a diverse coalition of Mainers in this state pulling together.”
Read: Nirav Shah leads Democratic primary for Maine governor (June 11, 2026)
Previously, Maine CDC Director Nirav Shah emerged as the frontrunner in first-choice votes on election night. Shah received 26.8% of the vote, ahead of former Maine House Speaker Hannah Pingree at 22.9%. Former Maine Senate President Troy Jackson followed with 21.8%, while Secretary of State Shenna Bellows captured 20.6%. Businessman Angus King III finished fifth with 8%. He was followed by Pingree (23.3%), Jackson (21.1%) and Bellows (20.6%).
With the top four candidates all within seven percentage points of each other, it was unclear heading into the runoff who might come out on top. Shah had built his profile on his record of leading Maine through the COVID-19 pandemic while he was director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention from 2019 to 2023. His early lead had also represented an important moment for Indian Americans in the state’s politics.
Pingree of North Haven, ran on her record as a former lawmaker, Maine speaker of the House and official in the Mills administration. The leader in fundraising throughout the race, she was endorsed by the governor and dozens of lawmakers and state officials. Like other candidates, Pingree had made pushing back on the Trump administration a priority in her platform, and also pitched herself as a consensus-builder who could work across the aisle when needed.
Charles’ victory was regarded as not surprising. He led in all public polling, though he drew frequent attacks from his Republican rivals.