06-05-2025
Angus King III, son of U.S. senator, announces campaign for Maine governor
May 5—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.
"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.
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