The 2026 Maine gubernatorial election is scheduled to take place on November 3, 2026, to elect the governor of Maine. Incumbent Democratic governor Janet Mills is term-limited and cannot seek re-election to a third consecutive term. This election will coincide with a U.S. Senateelection, U.S. Houseelections for Maine's two congressional districts, and various other state, county and local elections.
Incumbent governor Janet Mills, a Democrat, was re-elected with 55.69% of the vote in 2022 over Republican former governor Paul LePage. Mainers have not elected consecutive governors from the same party since Republican Burton M. Cross succeeded fellow Republican Frederick G. Payne following the 1952 election. Conversely, Mills' 2022 re-election, held under Democratic president Joe Biden, was the first time Mainers had elected a governor from the same party as the president since Republican John R. McKernan Jr. was re-elected under Republican president George H. W. Bush in 1990.
A sparsely populated state in New England, Maine is one of the most rural states in the nation and is considered to be moderately blue, having voted for every Democratic presidential nominee since 1992. In 2024, the state voted for Kamala Harris by seven points. Both houses of the Maine Legislature are controlled by the Maine Democratic Party, and Maine's two congressional districts are held by Democrats. A Republican has not received a majority of the vote in a gubernatorial election since 1962, when incumbent Republican John H. Reed received 50.08% of the vote.
^Solender, Andrew (April 10, 2025). "House leaders face growing horde of members grasping for higher office". Axios. Retrieved April 11, 2025. Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine) signaled he could run for Senate or governor, telling Axios he is 'running for reelection to my seat as far as I know, but I'll look at statewide offices. I'm not taking anything off the table.'
Elections and referendums in Maine