Hannah Pingree and Bobby Charles release statements following RCV results

AUGUSTA, Maine (WABI/WMTW) - The Maine Secretary of State’s Office has announced the results of the ranked choice voting tabulation for governor and the Democratic nominee for Maine’s 2nd Congressional District.

The winner of the Democratic gubernatorial primary is former Speaker of the Maine House Hannah Pingree.

The winner of the Republican gubernatorial primary is Former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Bobby Charles.

The final steps of the tabulation process began in Augusta after 1:35 a.m. Friday.

Officials did appear to encounter an issue with a printer, so the final tabulation was delayed by several minutes.

Dr. Nirav Shah, the former director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, was in the lead after the first-choice votes were counted on Primary Night. But Shah, Pingree, former State Senate President Troy Jackson and Secretary of State Shenna Bellows each got more than 20% of first-choice votes.

Hannah Pingree released the following statement after the election results were announced.

“After a year-long campaign and a careful count, the results are in. I’m grateful, I’m ready and there is no time to waste. I’ve spent nearly 25 years serving the people of Maine and the last year really brought home what that service is about—because Mainers show up for each other, in cities and towns, and they never give up on their neighbors. Thank you to everyone who voted, volunteered, donated, or opened their doors to talk with me about what matters to them, and what’s at stake in this election.

This was a crowded and competitive primary, and I want to thank Nirav Shah, Troy Jackson, Shenna Bellows and Angus King III for running campaigns that pushed all of us to be better and gave Democratic voters real and good choices. Ranked choice voting means a lot of you ranked more than one of us, and I’m grateful for every one of those votes, in whatever order they came. I also want to thank every town clerk and elections official across the state for their work tabulating a close and complicated race. This process took time because it’s supposed to, and that care is exactly what voters deserve.

Now the real work begins. This campaign is about housing that allows young people to stay in Maine, quality health care we can afford, no matter where you live. It is about Maine’s potential– ensuring a bright future for our kids, and for those struggling to get by. And this campaign is about standing up against Donald Trump’s reckless attacks, his wars and economic choices that are making life harder for Mainers. Heading into November, I need all of you -- whether I was your first choice or your fifth or you didn’t participate in the primary at all -- because beating Bobby Charles and Rick Bennett requires a diverse coalition of Mainers in this state pulling together.

Thank you, Maine. I look forward to seeing you all across our incredible state and earning your vote.”

Bobby Charles has been confirmed as the Republican nominee for governor following the completion of ranked-choice voting tabulation.

Charles had a 17-point lead in the Republican race after Primary Night on June 9. But in a field with eight candidates on the ballot, he only received 37.9% of the vote and needed more than 50% in order to avoid a ranked choice tabulation.

Charles released a statement Friday morning.

“Maine is ready for change. From Fort Kent to Kittery, from Downeast to Rangeley, Mainers sent a clear message: it is time to fix what is broken in Augusta,” Charles said. “I am honored to carry that message into November.”