Robert West, right, of the Ocean Energy Institute of Rockland, speaks with former Angus King, center, and his son, Angus King III in February 2010. Jill Brady/Portland Press Herald
Angus King III, a businessman, renewable energy leader and the son of U.S. Sen. Angus King Jr., announced Tuesday that he is running for governor of Maine.
King, a Portland Democrat, joins what is likely to be a crowded field of candidates seeking to replace Democratic Gov. Janet Mills, who will be prevented from running in 2026 because of term limits.
Fellow Democrat Secretary of State Shenna Bellows has also announced a run for governor, and former Maine Senate President Troy Jackson, also a Democrat, announced in March that he was forming a committee to explore a run for governor.
In all, seven candidates have so far filed campaign finance paperwork with the state for the governor’s race.
“I’ve spent my life building and making things that really help people,” Angus King III said in a written statement. “Now, I’m running for governor to build a better Maine – where it’s easier to start and grow a small business, where we can build our economy through innovation and hard work, and where it’s not so hard to afford the basic things you need to live and raise a family in the state we all love.”
King is the founder and former president of Peaks Renewables, a renewable energy development company that recently spearheaded a project to develop an anaerobic digester to produce natural gas from cow manure in the town of Clinton.
His father, U.S. Sen. Angus King, is an independent who was governor from 1995 to 2003 and who has served as Maine’s junior U.S. senator since 2013.
Sen. Angus King described his son as “hard-working, smart, engaged, and caring” in a written statement.
Senator Angus King’s son, Angus King III, left, and his wife, Mary Herman, center, stopped by King’s Portland campaign office with him last fall. Brianna Soukup/Portland Press Herald
“He’s a builder and an optimist who knows Maine and doesn’t quit until the job is done,” Sen. King said. “He’s been building things to take care of people and make the world a better place throughout his life, and I think his combination of smarts, experience, and character will make him an excellent governor of Maine.”
Other Democratic contenders whose names have been floated as potential candidates for governor include U.S. Rep. Jared Golden and Hannah Pingree, the director of the Governor’s Office of Policy Innovation and the Future, a former Maine House speaker and the daughter of U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree.
A spokesperson for Golden said Monday that the fourth-term congressman is focused on his work and “the next election is the furthest thing from his mind.”
Speculation about possible Republican candidates has included former U.S. Rep. Bruce Poliquin, Senate Minority Leader Trey Stewart, Rep. Laurel Libby and Jonathan Bush, a cousin of George W. Bush who lives in Cape Elizabeth.
State Sen. Rick Bennett and former Senate Majority Leader Garrett Mason, now a lobbyist, have also been mentioned as possible candidates.
Signatures to qualify for the ballot are due to the Maine Department of the Secretary of State by March 16, 2026, and primary elections are scheduled for June 9, 2026.
This story will be updated.
While influenza remains the top concern for Maine public health experts, other viruses are also currently circulating, including norovirus and COVID-19.
“Influenza is clearly the main event,” said Dr. Cheryl Liechty, a MaineHealth infectious disease specialist. “The curve in terms of the rise of influenza cases was really steep.”
Maine reported 1,343 flu cases for the week ending Jan. 3, an uptick from the 1,283 cases recorded the previous week, according to the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Hospitalizations increased to 147 from 108 during the same time periods.
“I hope the peak is now,” Liechty said, “but I’m not really sure.”
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported on Friday that all of New England, except for Vermont, is currently experiencing “very high” levels of influenza. Vermont is in the “moderate” category.
“What we are seeing, overwhelmingly, is the flu,” said Andrew Donovan, associate vice president of infection prevention for Northern Light Health. “We are seeing both respiratory and gastrointestinal viruses in our patients.”
Norovirus also appears to be circulating, although due to its short duration and because it’s less severe than the flu, public health data on the illness — which causes gastrointestinal symptoms that typically resolve within a few days — is not as robust.
“Norovirus is the gastrointestinal scourge of New England winters and cruise ships,” Liechty said.
According to surveillance data at wastewater treatment plants in Portland, Bangor and Lewiston, norovirus levels detected in those communities are currently “high.” The treatment plants participate in WastewaterSCAN, which reports virus levels in wastewater through a program run by Stanford University and Emory University.
Dr. Genevieve Whiting, a Westbrook pediatrician and secretary of the Maine chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, said viruses are prevalent right now, especially the flu and norovirus.
“For my patients right now, it’s a rare encounter that I hear everyone in a family has been healthy,” Whiting said. “I’ve had families come in and say their entire family has had norovirus. Several of my patients have had ER visits for suspected norovirus, where they needed IV fluids because they were dehydrated.”
Both Liechty and Whiting said they are seeing less respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, likely because there has been good uptake of the new RSV vaccine, which is recommended for older people and those who are pregnant. The vaccine was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2023.
“The RSV vaccine has been a real success, as RSV was a leading cause of hospitalizations for babies,” Whiting said.
Meanwhile, COVID-19 cases increased to 610 in the final week of 2025, compared to 279 the previous week. Influenza and COVID-19 vaccinations are available at primary care, pharmacies and clinics across the state.
“If you haven’t gotten your flu shot yet,” Liechty said, “you should beat a hasty path to get your shot.”
Defensemen Max Wanner was re-assigned to the Maine Mariners from the Providence Bruins on Thursday. Defenseman Michael Underwood was also re-assigned to Maine.
Wanner, 22, was acquired by the Boston Bruins when they traded Trent Federic to Edmonton last March. He played in 15 games for the AHL Providence Bruins at the end of last season, and seven this season.
Underwood returns for his second stint with the Mariners. He appeared in 67 games with Maine last season.
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