Democrats Pingree, Bellows Outraise Rivals As Republicans Self-Fund Bids
Self-funding, not donors, fueled Republicans' fundraising as Democrats Pingree and Bellows topped $500,000 each.
State filings submitted by the April 28 deadline show Democrats Hannah Pingree and Shenna Bellows well ahead of their rivals in fundraising for Maine's governor's race, while Republican candidates have leaned heavily on their own wallets to stay competitive.
Pingree, who previously led the Maine House, and Bellows, the current secretary of state, each brought in just over half a million dollars between Jan. 1 and April 21, and Pingree closed that stretch with $870,000 in the bank, more than anyone else running. Jonathan Bush, an entrepreneur in health technology, tops the overall money list with north of $2.2 million raised, roughly $900,000 of which he supplied himself. Among the seven Republicans in the race, personal loans and other self-funding made up about a third of everything the field brought in, north of $2 million, with former fitness executive Ben Midgley leaning on it most heavily: $750,000 in loans covers three-quarters of his campaign's resources.
Nirav Shah, who previously headed Maine's public health agency, sits atop Democratic primary polling despite lagging financially with roughly $900,000 raised. Rick Bennett, an independent and former chair of the Maine Republican Party, reported raising $617,000 since entering the race. A billionaire-funded outside group backing Republican Garrett Mason has booked close to $3.3 million in ads on his behalf, while Bush's own supporting PAC, Maine Dream Inc., has reserved more than $2 million in ads combined with his campaign.
This story was first reported by Bangor Daily News.
