Ed Crockett, a state representative from Portland, announced on Wednesday that he will run as an independent for governor in 2026.
Crockett, who has run in past state elections as a Democrat but is now listed as unenrolled, has served in the Maine Legislature since 2018 and currently represents House District 112, which includes parts of Portland and Falmouth.
He will be competing to replace Democratic Gov. Janet Mills, who has reached her term limit and is considering a U.S. Senate run against long-serving Republican Sen. Susan Collins.
“Maine needs a chief executive who has the courage and strength to put people first; not political parties,” Crockett said in an announcement. “The major parties, here and across the country, have become consumed with division and gridlock. They’ve lost their way and it’s time to take a step back. We cannot keep going down the same road.”
By running as an independent, Crockett will avoid a crowded primary but is likely to face stiff competition in the general election.
Declared Democratic candidates include Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows; Jason Cherry, a lawyer who ran for U.S. Senate in 2024; former Maine Senate president Troy Jackson; Angus King III, an energy executive and son of former Maine governor and U.S. Sen. Angus King; Kenneth Pinet, a retired hotel worker; and Hannah Pingree, former speaker of the Maine House and daughter of U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree.
Declared Republican candidates include: Ken Capron, a retired accountant; Bobby Charles, a lawyer and former U.S. assistant secretary of state; David Jones, a real estate executive who ran for governor in 2006; James Libby, a Maine senator who ran for governor in 2002; Owen McCarthy, a University of Maine System trustee; Ben Midgely, a former CEO of Crunch Fitness; and Robert Wessels, a former selectman in the town of Paris.
Declared independent candidates include: Maine Sen. Rick Bennett, a past president of the Senate; and John Glowa, a retired environmental specialist.
Other prominent names considering a run for Maine governor include Nirav Shah, who was director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention during the COVID-19 pandemic and briefly led the U.S. CDC; and Jonathan Bush, a health care executive and nephew of former President George H.W. Bush.
