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The primary election is on Tuesday, and things are heating up.
Our election reporter Matt Junker looked at the state of the crowded Democratic and Republican primaries for governor where the candidates’ own endorsements and warnings about each other could influence ranked-choice voting and shape who earns each party’s nomination.
In the eight years that Maine has used ranked-choice voting in statewide and federal elections, almost every candidate who led after the first round went on to win the election. There has only been one time that didn’t happen, which was in 2018 when Democrat Jared Golden won the 2nd Congressional District seat.
Given how crowded the fields are and the feuds and alliances that have formed in recent weeks, it seems possible this rare scenario could play out again in the primaries for governor. Here’s our primer on how ranked-choice voting works, and here’s our 2026 voter guide.
Matt also wrote a piece explaining why any votes for Gov. Janet Mills in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate will still count even though she suspended her campaign. The same is true for Republican candidate for governor James Libby.
We also have a deeply reported article that looks at the agency that investigates abuse and neglect of older Mainers. Our health reporter Rose Lundy details the case of a woman who found her father, who relied on caregivers to help him at his home in Augusta, living in a state of squalor, with rat feces covering his bed. He had gotten an infection that spread to his bones, requiring his toe to be amputated. Adult Protective Services conducted an investigation but refused to share its records with his daughter, leaving her in the dark.
The daughter sat down with Rose for a video interview, so you can hear her experience in her own words. And Rose answered five questions you might have about the agency.
All of this, and more, is below. As always, we’re eager to hear your thoughts. |
