Politics
Our political journalists are based in the Maine State House and have deep source networks across the partisan spectrum in communities all over the state. Their coverage aims to cut through major debates and probe how officials make decisions. Read more Politics coverage here.

Sitting in third place in the tight Democratic gubernatorial primary, former Maine Senate President Troy Jackson has gone off the grid, fishing and spending time with family in Aroostook County for a long weekend with little to no phone service.

Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, currently fourth but still with a shot to become the Democratic nominee, posted a Wednesday photo with her husband at an Augusta brewery. Former Maine House Speaker Hannah Pingree headed home with family in North Haven Wednesday after her primary party in Portland the night before.

“Now it’s just a matter of patience,” Pingree spokesperson Mary-Erin Casale said.

After a primary night without closure, several candidates aiming to replace Gov. Janet Mills are playing the waiting game, spinning the results and trying to relax at home with families after barnstorming the state for months, watching late results trickle in or readying to keep close watch of Augusta’s ranked-choice counting starting Friday.

The next phase of the primary marks a lull that could take about a week following an increasingly bitter season on both sides of the aisle. Law enforcement officers are delivering results from towns across Maine to Augusta, where election officials on Friday will begin tabulating both parties’ gubernatorial primaries and the tight Democratic battle for the 2nd Congressional District. The state hopes to wrap up before next Friday.

The wait has given way to calls for party unity by the Republican and Democratic frontrunners, lawyer Bobby Charles and former Maine public health chief Nirav Shah, respectively. It also opened a door for the only independent on the ballot in November, state Sen. Rick Bennett of Oxford. With stops in Waterville and Bangor, the former Republican launched a statewide tour Thursday focused on affordability, Maine’s economy and restoring trust in government.

Keeping in style with his aggressive year-long campaign, Charles has been active on social media since racking up just over 37% of first-round votes on Tuesday. But he said he wanted to “take an unusual moment” to thank his supporters and those who voted for his opponents in a Facebook video Thursday morning. He also said he’d reach out to every candidate, several of whom traded blows with him over policy and tactics for months.

“At the end of the day, we hang together or we hang separately,” Charles, who attended a Thursday fundraiser for state Rep. Ken Fredette’s political committee in Newport, said. “This is one team, one fight to save Maine.”

Shah on Wednesday afternoon thanked his opponents, including former energy executive Angus King III, saying “our party is stronger” because of the group’s dedication to Maine.

Bellows, Jackson and Pingree formed a ranked-choice alliance backed by U.S. Senate nominee Graham Platner. All expressed confidence about their individual performance. It remains to be seen who picks up most of King’s lower-ranked votes. The son of independent U.S. Sen. Angus King got just over 8% of votes.

Christine Kirby, Jackson’s spokesperson, noted the Allagash logger won both Portland and Bangor on Tuesday, a strong performance in a race “largely overshadowed by the U.S. Senate race and dominated by legacy names and high profile figures.”

Casale said at first glance it’s odd to be excited about second place. But given the dynamics of ranked-choice voting and recent polling showing Pingree rising “at a critical time in the race,” it means “we are in a good position,” she said. Bellows’ team highlighted a Bangor Daily News simulation showing her as a narrow favorite due to strong second-choice support.

On the Republican side, fitness executive Ben Midgley and entrepreneur Jonathan Bush trail Charles after picking up 20.2% and 20% support, respectively. Bush had recently polled in second place, while Midgley has been anywhere from 2% to 10% in recent surveys.

“No campaign outperformed the polls the way Ben Midgley did,” Brent Littlefield, his strategist, said.

Bush and former Maine Senate Majority Leader Garrett Mason and their allies spent almost $8.5 million combined in ads. Midgley’s team booked only about $264,000 according to AdImpact, and he loaned his campaign $750,000. Charles spent less than all of them at just over $240,000 on advertising.

Mason, who received about 11% of the vote, said the results marked “the end of my final statewide campaign” in a Thursday post on X thanking supporters, family and staff. He encouraged voters to back U.S. Sen. Susan Collins and Republicans in the Legislature but did not mention his rivals.

Charles noted on social media that his campaign has “witnesses, lawyers and tough voter integrity experts working with us” during the ranked-choice count. One of his posts Thursday included images of Shah and Jackson alongside Mills, claiming they amounted to “more of the same.” Bennett’s face was lumped in with the Democrats.

“I’m sure I’m in his [and Democrats’] minds,” Bennett said in an interview between conversations with voters and volunteers at Geaghan’s Pub in Bangor on Thursday. “I’m sure they have numbers that show there’s a good chance I will be Maine’s next governor … because what they’re serving up is just more finger-pointing, no problem solving.”

Maine residents are seeing a lot of ticks right now – in their backyards, on hikes, but also even in unusual places like crawling on porches or playground equipment.

The reason: The two most predominant ticks in Maine, the deer tick and dog tick, are both in the adult stage of their life cycle.

“We have multiple species all active right now,” said Griffin Dill, manager of the Tick Lab at the University of Maine Cooperative Extension. “It gives the impression that we are inundated with ticks.”

Dog ticks have a broader habitat range than deer ticks, and are more noticeable to humans, Dill said. Deer ticks are a public health hazard, transmitting Lyme and other tick-borne diseases to humans. Dog ticks are considered more of a nuisance than a health threat. While it’s possible for a dog tick to transmit Rocky Mountain spotted fever, there have not been any confirmed cases in Maine.

Maine reported a record 4,257 cases of Lyme disease in 2025, and 946 cases through June 9, according to the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

“Deer ticks dry out more easily, so if they are exposed to sunlight and wind, they can’t maintain moisture, which is why they will more likely be under leaves or in the woods,” Dill said. “The dog tick is much hardier, and you’ll see them crawling in open fields and lawns. You could even see one when walking down your gravel driveway to pick up the mail.”

Dill said adult dog ticks will be prevalent through early August, when they will start to die off. Adult deer ticks will still be present for the next few weeks before dying off, but deer ticks in the nymphal stage, which are difficult to see but can still attach to hosts, will be abundant in July, he said.

Dill said Maine gets a short reprieve from ticks in August, especially if it’s dry, but the adult deer ticks will be prevalent again in the fall.

How can you tell if it’s a dog tick or a deer tick?

Deer ticks have a red-orange body, with a large black area near the head, and black legs. Dog ticks have a reddish-brown body and legs, with grayish-white marks on their back.

How do I submit a tick for identification?

To submit a tick to the University of Maine Cooperative Extension’s Tick Lab, fill out a tick submission form on the website, put the tick into a bag that can be closed or other sealed container. Ship the sample to the UMaine Extension Diagnostic & Research Lab, Attn: Tick Lab, 17 Godfrey Drive, Orono, ME, 04473-3692.

How do I avoid ticks?

Before going outdoors, apply tick repellant, wear long-sleeved clothing when hiking, and tuck pants into socks, according to the Maine CDC. Once inside, check clothing for ticks and put clothes immediately into the dryer on high heat when returning. Experts also recommend watching for ticks when moving firewood or raking leaves, and doing tick checks, including on pets.

If a tick is attached to me, what do I do?

Remove the tick with tweezers by pulling slowly in an upward direction. The deer tick needs to be attached for at least 24 hours before transmitting tick-borne diseases, but not everyone gets the bullseye rash that is common after a bite, so go to your primary care provider for treatment. If caught early, Lyme and other tick-borne diseases can be treated with antibiotics.

Common symptoms of Lyme disease are fatigue, joint pain, headaches and fever.

Are deer ticks everywhere in Maine?

With climate change, the deer tick has expanded its range, and Lyme disease cases are now being reported in all 16 counties. However, deer ticks are more prevalent along the coast, especially Midcoast Maine.