Democrat · Maine governor · 2026
Hannah Pingree
Pingree grew up on North Haven, an island off the Maine coast where local government is very close to home.
Biography
Hannah Pingree grew up on North Haven, an island community where her father built boats and volunteered as an emergency medical technician.1 Her mother went from the Maine Legislature to Congress, and Hannah eventually entered public life herself.1 She and her husband, Jason Mann, still live on North Haven with their two children, now teenagers.12
Pingree graduated from Brown University and won a Maine House seat in 2002, at 26.31 She became House speaker in 2008 and served until 2010.3 After leaving the Legislature, she managed a small business and a local housing organization and chaired her community's school board.1
From 2019 to 2025, she directed Governor Janet Mills' Office of Policy Innovation and the Future.4 As a Maine Climate Council cochair, she helped develop the state's Maine Won't Wait climate plan.4 Her office also designed a $60 million recovery package after damaging storms in December 2023 and January 2024.4
Her campaign proposes a $100 million housing investment, faster project approvals and action against private equity purchases of affordable housing.2 She also promises emergency heating assistance and wider access to preschool.2 She faces Republican Bobby Charles and independent Rick Bennett in the race to succeed Mills, whose second and final term ends in January.5
Record and controversies
Film grant allegation
Charles alleged that state grants may have funded films produced by Pingree's husband, but Maine Public reported that he provided no proof connecting the cited grant to the film.6 Pingree denied that her husband benefited from grants under her office, and the Island Institute said the films had private funding while the cited state grant was restricted to separate community work.6 The claim of a diversion of public money is disputed and has not been established.6