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Bobby Charles

Candidate, Governor (ME) · Republican · Maine

Bobby Charles is the 2026 Republican nominee for Governor of Maine, a former federal counter-narcotics official campaigning on cutting crime, cutting taxes, and government accountability.

Profile last updated Jul 13, 2026 · Center Field Politics

Scout's Report

First-time state candidate with a federal national-security background running a law-and-order, tax-cutting platform.

Core Strength

Outsider message and counter-narcotics experience resonate with the GOP base.

Core Weakness

No prior elected office means little voting record for voters to evaluate.

Recent Action

Won the 2026 Republican gubernatorial primary.

Key Metrics

Reliability
N/A

No roll-call record available for a non-incumbent.

Documented Controversies
0

Official ethics findings or court records only.

Funding Secured
N/A

No appropriations history for a non-incumbent candidate.

Outside Influence
Low

Derived from PAC and outside-spending share of campaign funding.

Where They Stand

Stances on the issues many voters care most about. Where a candidate has not given a clear answer we mark it "Mixed / Partial" or "Unclear" rather than guess. Positions are drawn from official records and bias-labeled news sources; they are descriptive only and are never scored.

Environment—Opposes3

Climate protections and regulation versus fewer climate-related regulations on industry.

Favors expanding natural gas, hydropower, and biomass while ending renewable-energy subsidies.

Medium Confidence

Healthcare—Opposes3

Expanding healthcare coverage for all versus expanding market-based, private insurance.

Proposes cutting state DHHS spending sharply; does not support single-payer or expanded public coverage.

Medium Confidence

Second Amendment—Unclear3

New firearm regulations versus no new firearm regulations.

Campaign centers on crime and taxes; no specific gun-legislation position is stated.

Low Confidence / Insufficient Data

Immigration—Opposes3

Pathways to citizenship versus a closed-border approach.

Calls for strict immigration enforcement and dismantling drug-cartel networks operating in Maine.

High Confidence

Roe v. Wade—Unclear3

Protecting access to abortion versus restricting access to abortion.

Abortion is not a stated campaign pillar; no clear public position is documented in these sources.

Low Confidence / Insufficient Data

National Security—Unclear4

Whether diplomacy or military strength should be the primary national-security priority.

No significant documented public position on U.S. military action against Iran.

Low Confidence / Insufficient Data

Campaign Funding

Republican in the 2026 Maine governor’s race, filed with the Maine Ethics Commission (not the FEC): ~$780K raised plus $200K in personal loans, with about $380K cash on hand ahead of the June primary. Raised $980K for the 2026 cycle (2026 cycle (42-day pre-primary, through Apr 21, 2026)), filed with Maine Ethics Commission.

Total raised (cycle 2026): $980,000 · Outside influence: Low

Party Loyalty

No voting record yet; loyalty cannot be measured.

Sources

  1. Bobby for Maine — Official campaign site
  2. AP — State policy coverage
  3. Bobby for Maine — Issues
  4. Maine Policy Institute — Candidate interview: Bobby Charles
  5. Maine Democrats — Statement on Charles gubernatorial campaign
  6. Portland Press Herald — Coverage of gubernatorial race and Charles platform
  7. Maine Ethics Commission (campaign finance)
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