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Angus King III has loaned his campaign $700,000 as he tries to close a cash-on-hand gap with the leading Democratic candidates in the race for Maine governor, according to updated campaign finance reports that were due Friday.
King, a former clean energy executive and the son of Maine’s junior U.S. senator, provided the bulk of the $795,000 during the filing period. But the Portland Democrat’s campaign has spent the bulk of what it has taken in and held just $229,000 in cash when the fundraising period between April 1 and May 20 ended.
Mainers will vote June 9 in the wide-open gubernatorial primaries. Self-funding has emerged as a defining feature of the race. Candidates in both parties have pumped millions of their own dollars into their campaigns, reflecting the competitiveness of the ranked-choice voting contests and the difficulty of sustaining donor-driven fundraising over a long race in a small state.
The Republican field has been more reliant on self-funding. Entrepreneur Jonathan Bush of Cape Elizabeth has loaned his campaign $1.1 million and contributed an additional $15,000 . Despite raising the most of any candidate in the race at $2.4 million, he ended the period with just $132,000 on hand.
Former fitness executive Ben Midgley of Kennebunkport has loaned his campaign $750,000 and holds the largest cash reserve in the Republican field at $445,621, though he raised just $29,000 in the most recent period. Frontrunner Bobby Charles has loaned his campaign $220,000 and had $277,000 on hand with his campaign leaning on small donors.
In the Democratic field, former public health chief Nirav Shah’s campaign has gotten roughly $177,000 in contributions from the candidate and his wife, Kara Palamountain. Shah raised $234,000 in the most recent period to lead the Democratic field and had $288,000. He has been leading polls of the race consistently.
Former House Speaker Hannah Pingree leads Democrats in cash on hand with $420,000. Shenna Bellows holds $367,000. Former Senate President Troy Jackson reported $255,000 in cash and has not reported any self-funding.
