June 29th 2026 Len’s Political Note #822 Hannah Pingree Maine Governor
2026 General Election
In 1820, Maine was the fulcrum as the House and Senate decided whether or not to admit Missouri as a state. Missouri’s admission would have created 12 slave states, 11 free states. The Compromise of 1820 arranged for Maine, which was not contiguous, but governed as part of Massachusetts, to separate from that state and become a state on its own. So—- 12 slave states and 12 free states.
That compromise postponed the worst of the friction between the north and the south for thirty or forty years.
Maine has had its moments on the national stage. James G. Blaine, a Speaker of the House, US Senator, Secretary of State twice was probably the most powerful non-presidential politician of the second half of the 19th century. Blaine combined a touch of corruption with sufficient expertise so that Republican presidents relied on him. He and the first President for whom he served as Secretary of State, James Garfield, were hold outs against compromise with the Democrats and opposed the end of Reconstruction in the South. As Secretary of State, he favored expanding the United States role in the world. He had some role in making the Hawaii part of the American orbit and in creating a precursor to the Organization of American States.
Maine is on the national stage again. More for its Senate race than its election of a governor. In the Senate race, incumbent Republican Susan Collins, finally as unpopular as she deserves for voting against Trump’s goals only when her vote did not matter is vulnerable. Is she vulnerable enough to lose to Graham Platner? His controversial issues with women and his Totenkopf tattoo have partly offset the wave of enthusiasm that greeted his candidacy and have led to his nomination despite the controversies.
For governor, Maine’s use of ranked choice voting was crucial in the nomination of Hannah Pingree for governor. In the initial count, Nirav Shah, the state health director during the covid pandemic, led Hannah Pingree 26.7 to 23.2 in a race that included five candidates. When rankings were apportioned, a process that took Maine more than a week to complete, Hannah Pingree had the majority of votes and won the nomination.
For a woman not yet 50, Hannah Pingree has been around Maine politics for a long time. Her mom is the Congresswoman representing Maine 01. Chellie Johnson Pingree came to Maine with her family when she was nineteen. She married boatbuilder Charlie Pingree and settled among the 400 people who were year round residents of the island of North Haven. Divorced, she became a figure locally and nationally. With her knitting circle, she created a shop to sell knitted goods to North Haven tourists. Between 1986 and 1992, she wrote and published five books on knitting for sale in the shop and nationally.
Chellie Pingree was active beyond the island; beyond Maine even. In 1992, Chellie Pingree was elected to the Maine State Senate where she served until she was term-limited out. She had made a national mark by leading an effort to control prescription drug prices in Maine. She ran for the US Senate in 2002 and lost to Susan Collins, was elected head of Common Cause in 2003, and remained in that role until 2006
In anticipation of another phase, Chellie Pingree bought the closed Nebo Lodge, refurbished it and reopened it in 2006. She would not stay out of. politics. In 2008, she ran for Congress and won. Preceding the Squad by a decade, she joined the Progressive Caucus of which she is currently the Vice-Chair.
This piece is about Chellie’s daughter Hannah. Hannah Pingree remained on North Haven. Born in 1976 to Charlie and Chellie, she attended the tiny local school while her mother was organizing her knitting circle. Hanna Pingree was sixteen when her mother was elected to the Maine State Senate.
Hannah Pingree graduated from the little community school in a class of five and went off to Brown. With a fellowship in public affairs, after graduation, she tried the big city. In 1998, when she took her fellowship to intern at New York City’s Office of Management and Budget, Rudy Giuliani was mayor. Joe Lohta was head of the OMB He ran for mayor unsuccessfully a few years later. Robert M. Harding, who finished the year eventually became a Vice Mayor under Giuliani, later happily and prosperously joined the GreenbergTraurig law firm.
Hannah Pingree went on to work for iVillage, a recently created firm dedicated to marketing and advertising via the internet. She left the firm to join her mother’s ultimately unsuccessful campaign for the US Senate. She surely learned not to underestimate Susan Collins. She also met Jason Mann, a Tufts graduate whose interest is sustainable housing. They are still married, still live on the island of North Haven. His firm continues and she joined her mother in politics.
Hanna Pingree was elected as a State Rep in 2002. By 2006, she was Majority Leader. By 2010, she was Speaker. When she announced her candidacy for Governor, the Portland Press Herald recalled her time as Majority Leader and Speaker. She was 30 when she became majority leader, 34 when she became Speaker. The Press Herald quotes Republican Josh Tardy: “She was an unapologetic Democrat…. very principled and she could be partisan at times, but there’s nothing wrong with that. Despite her partisan beliefs, she felt it was important for both parties to work together to find common ground.” She touts her accomplishments in the Maine House. Expansion of broadband to include rural areas, increased use of clean energy, lower health care costs, protected the legality of same sex marriage, protected the legality of abortions, improved housing access, protected Maine’s working waterfronts, and protected children from toxic materials.
With term limits, she was out of politics at 38. Had her mother run for the US Senate when Olympia Snow retired, Hannah Pingree would probably have run for her mother’s Congressional seat. But Chellie Pingree did not run for the Senate. Instead, Hannah Pingree worked in the other family businesses – as Executive Director of the Affordable Housing firm, as head of Nebo Lodge. Then Governor Janet Mills called.
In 2019, Hannah Pingree became the Director of the newly created Office of Policy Planning & the Future for Governor Janet Mills. Among her accomplishments on behalf of the governor was her work with the state Climate Council. They developed a climate action plan which included the installation of 100,000 heat pumps as well as statewide and local preparation for severe storms.
In her campaign for Governor, Hannah Pingree commits herself to making housing more affordable including reducing the cost for people to heat their homes. She proposes a statewide health care plan that offers an affordable alternative, less expensive prescription drugs, and preventive care. She proposes a child care plan for all.
Her opponent will be the former US Assistant Secretary of State Bobby Charles who so alienated his opponents for the Republican nomination that not one indicated, in a televised debate, he would support Charles if he won the nomination. We will see now that the general election campaign has begun. Some may support Charles after all. Others may support the independent candidate, State Senator Rick Bennett.
Support Hannah Pingree. Resources will help get out a strong Democratic vote. In January, she had raised $1.4 million and Charles had raised $300,000. DONATE. Funds that help get out the Democratic vote will help her and help other Democratic candidates including Graham Platner for Senate and Matt Dunlop for Congress.
Other Northern New England races to consider
Maine – US Senate. Oyster Farmer Graham Platner gained a wide spread following from young people and was the subject of scandals about his treatment of women and his Totenkopf tattoo. Five June polls show Graham Platner leading Susan Collins. One poll, funded by a Republican, shows them tied. Of the other polls, Platner led by 4 points in two polls (one of which was funded by a Democrat), two of them by two. Points, and one poll by a single point. The incumbent Susan Collins is ahead in the money race. On May 20, she had $9.7 million; he had $2.2 million. DONATE See Len’s Political Note #813
Maine 02. State Auditor Matt Dunlop also came from behind in the rank voting to win the Democratic nomination. He was the first candidate to announce, announcing before Incumbent Jared Golden’s decision not to run. An advocate for Medicare for All and abortion rights, he can speak with authority about the care he took in auditing both the state’s finances and the state’s elections, including the first election using ranked choice voting. His opponent sf former governor, Paul LePage who describes himself as Trump before there was Trump. The most recent poll, in April, showed LePage leading by 10 points. LePage also has a financial advantage. On May 29, he had $1.2 million, while Matt Dunlop had less than $100,000. DONATE to Matt Dunlop’s campaign. He needs to compete and we need him to compete.
New Hampshire –US Senate Chris Pappas comes from a prominent Democratic family whose restaurant has been a Democratic gathering place. Previously a New Hampshire Congressman and moderate Democrat, his marriage to a man did not hurt his political standing. His probable opponent John Sununu is a former one term US Senator. His younger brother, the former governor, seems to have earned greater trust from the people of New Hampshire, but the younger brother is not a candidate. Polls in March showed Pappas leading by 2 points and 4 points. A poll in April showed him leading by 7. On March 31, Chris Pappas had $4.2 million available, more than double the $2 million John Sununu had. DONATE to Chris Pappas if you want to help be certain of his win. See Len’s Political Note #743
New Hampshire 01 Polls in 2025 consistently showed City Councilor Stefany Shaheen, daughter of retiring Senator Jeanne Shaheen, leading among Democrats by large margins. There have been no polls in 2026. Similar 2025 polls showed Businesswoman Hollie Noveletsky leading Republicans, but by a smaller margin.
New Hampshire Governor. The most recent poll is from April. It shows former Governor Councilor Cindy Warrington trailing the incumbent Republican Governor and former US Senator Kelly Ayotte by 8 points in this state where governors have a two year term.
Vermont Governor Republican incumbent Phil Scott may be the last remaining moderate Republican alive. He is running again for governor and will be challenged by either Economist Amanda Janoo or former lobbyist on behalf of children Aly Richards. When it is clear who the Democratic nominee is and if there is some chance that Scott can be defeated, the Democrat could be worth an investment.
