Maine Governor Candidates Spar in First Televised Debate
The three candidates traded attacks on taxes, housing and energy while all pledged to work across party lines if elected.
- On Thursday, Democrat Hannah Pingree, independent Rick Bennett, and Republican Bobby Charles participated in the first gubernatorial debate in Portland, featuring an hourlong forum with testy exchanges over housing, taxes, and energy policy.
- Pingree leads the race with 48% support in recent polling, bolstered by fundraising totaling more than $4.3 million compared with Charles's $1.8 million and Bennett's nearly $924,000.
- Candidates clashed over economic plans, with Charles proposing a $100,000 property tax exemption while Pingree defended her $100 million annual housing investment and Bennett critiqued both approaches.
- Despite heated personal attacks over past federal work and business grants, all three candidates pledged at the debate's end to work across party lines if elected.
- Three additional debates remain scheduled, with WGME CBS 13 hosting the next forum on October 13, followed by a WMTW-hosted session the next day.
7 Articles
7 Articles
Central Maine News
Maine gubernatorial hopefuls trade barbs in first televised debate
Thursday's debate was a chance for Republican Bobby Charles and independent Rick Bennett to shake up a race in which Democrat Hannah Pingree has a comfortable lead in polling and fundraising.
Charles, Pingree and Bennett Clash Over Taxes, Housing and Maine’s Economy in Gubernatorial Debate
Maine’s three gubernatorial candidates offered sharply different prescriptions for the state’s economy, taxes, housing crisis and soaring energy costs during a debate dominated by pocketbook issues and increasingly pointed exchanges over their records. Republican Bobby Charles, Democrat Hannah Pingree and independent Rick Bennett faced off as Mainers prepare for early voting, with moderators pressing the [...]
Despite vow of bipartisanship, gubernatorial candidates spar in first televised debate
Maine’s three gubernatorial candidates exchanged sharp attacks over each other’s records during their first televised debate Thursday, even as all three pledged at the end of the night to work across party lines. The first of four planned debates was hosted by News Center Maine and the Maine Chamber of Commerce at the Cross Insurance […]
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- 43% of the sources lean Left, 43% of the sources are Center
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