Elections 2026: Primaries, Town Meetings, Candidates, Municipal and School Budgets

June 9 is when Maine citizens vote on budgets, candidates, some town meeting warrants, and this year, the political party primaries for registered party candidates hoping to win approval to run for office in the November elections.

Town Meetings and Candidates

APPLETON
Annual Town Meeting, June 9, by Secret Ballot, Appleton Fire Station, 2899 Sennebec Road, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. The municipal warrant includes the Appleton 2026-2027 municipal budget, as well articles that include asking voters if they want to explore private options for the collection of municipal waste, in lieu of participation in the Tri-County Solid Waste Organization. They will also be asked if they want to seek restitution for the flawed 2013 construction of the Millay Bridge on Fishtown Road, with estimated $750,000 repairs/replacement costs, plus spend $10,000 on legal fees for the bridge. Voters will also be asked if they want to explore interlocal agreements for protection and safety.

The K-8 Appleton Village School proposes a $4,224,398 million 2026-2027 budget. Appleton voters will also consider approving their share of the proposed $19,200,174 million Five Town CSD (Camden Hills Regional High School) budget, up 3.76 percent from the current 2025-2026 budget. Appleton's share is $624,425.28, up $ 19,986.74, or 3.3 percent, from the current year.

CAMDEN
Annual Town Meeting, June 9, by Secret Ballot, Camden Public Safety Building, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. There are two open Camden Select Board seats up for election June 9 at annual Town Meeting. The four candidates seeking election to the two three-year terms are Bobbi Oxton Blake, Christopher Nolan (incumbent), Geoff Scott and Sara Skrivanich.

Warrant articles include asking voters if they want to remove mandates requiring parking space minimus for dwelling units; institute a 180-day moratorium on bulkhead and seawall construction to revise ordinance language governing permitting and review process of hardening and/or armoring of coastal shorelines; accept a deed to the Greenfield subdivision lot for a pedestrian/bicycle pathway, as voted in the affirmative by voters in 2003 but this time, execute the said deed and record it (that action was never taken following the 2003 Town Meeting; accept 3.16-acre lot in the Lupine Terrace subdivision for open space and storm water drainage retention; consider Snow Bowl business leases (ski shop and food vendor); and purchase a replacement fire engine for $1.14 million (voters approved the purchase in 2025, but the town will receive a $250,000 discount if the town commits to purchasing the new engine early).

Camden also has a nonbinding referendum on its warrant: Question 1: Whether the town should maintain a full-service Police Department consistent with its traditional level of service. Question 2: Whether the Select Board and Town Manager should evaluate the financial costs and benefits of contracting with an outside agency, such as the Knox County Sheriff’s Office, to provide all or part of Camden’s patrol services.Question 3: Whether the Town should maintain its own police chief as a town employee, and if so, whether that position should be full-time or part-time. For context, Camden and Rockport shared a single police chief for the past 10 years under an interlocal agreement, with each town paying a proportional share of the cost.

The School Administrative District 28 (Camden-Rockport K-8) budget is $22,047,687 up $631,873, or 2.94 percent, from the current $21.5 million budget. Camden voters will also consider approving its share of the proposed $19,200,174 million Five Town CSD (Camden Hills Regional High School) budget, up 3.76 percent from the current 2025-2026 budget.

HOPE
Hope has a two-part annual Town Meeting with the in-person meeting June 18, Hope Corner Fire Station, 6 p.m.

On June 9, by secret ballot at the Hope Town Office, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., voters will consider the Hope Elementary School Budget and the Five Town CSD budget, as well as political primaries. Hope's Election Day page is here. The Hope School budget is $4,003,064, up 4.96 percent from the $3.8 million budget of the current year. Hope voters will also consider approving its share of the proposed $19,200,174 million Five Town CSD (Camden Hills Regional High School) budget, up 3.76 percent from the current 2025-2026 budget.

LINCOLNVILLE

Lincolnville's $3,177,489 municipal budget represents an increase of 2.7 percent over the current $3,093,043budget.

Proposed land use amendments include the town's Commercial Site Plan Review Ordinance. Article 4 asks: Shall an ordinance entitled “2026 Amendments to the Town of Lincolnville Land Use Ordinance to Update Commercial Site Plan Review Provisions” be enacted? These changes have roots in the 2023 proposal to build a retail store at Drake Corner and the subsequent townwide approval of a moratorium on non-residential developments while the town crafted rules governing such developments. The ordinance is to provide municipal review of commercial projects and their impact on the community and provide a thorough review of major impact projects and expedite review for minor projects.

Lincolnville will start its annual town meeting June 9 at the polls, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., at the Lincolnville Central School, to act on warrant articles 1-4. Then, on Thursday, June 11, citizens will gather at the Lincolnville Central School at 6 p.m. to act upon the remaining warant articles.

The 2026 warrant can be read here. The municipal ballot includes two candidates — Clifford Cameron and Matthew Maguire — who are running unopposed for two open Select Board seats. There are four candidates running for two open seats on the Lincolnville Central School Committee. They are Lauren Beveridge, Chloe Geffken, Jared Harbaugh and Kristi Hardy-Gilson.

The ballot asks voters if they want to approve the $5,276,476 proposed Lincolnville school budget for 2026-2027, up 8.5 percent from the 2025-2026 $4,910,340. The percentage increase on property tax, according to the school committee, is 3.91 percent. The full budget is here. Lincolnville voters will also consider approving its share of the $19,200,174 Five Town CSD (Camden Hills Regional High School) budget.

NORTHPORT
Municipal Election and State Primary Election – Tuesday June 9. Polls will be open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Town Office. Annual Town Meeting will take place June 15 at the Edna Drinkwater School, 56 Bayside Road, Northport, at 6:30 p.m. Absentee Ballots are available at the Town Office, 16 Beech Hill Road, Northport. Office Hours Tuesday – Friday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

ROCKLAND
Rockland polls will be open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., June 9. Election Polls are located at the Flanagan Community Center on 61 Limerock Street (get directions). In addition to primary candidates, voters will consider school budget spending, and a municipal charter amendment: "...To allow the City to borrow money for affordable workforce housing projects as well as capital imrprovement projects?"

Rockland voters will also consider the $41,383,070 RSU 13 budget, up $305,677, or .74 percent, from the current budget. RSU 13 provides K-12 public education to students from Cushing, Owls Head, Rockland, South Thomaston and Thomaston.

ROCKPORT

Rockport’s Annual Town Meeting will take place at the polls June 9, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., at the Rockport Public Library. The town's voter's guide is here, as well as ballots for municipal, state primary elections, school budgets and the town warrant.

Rockport's proposed net municipal budget (see page 21 for a summary) is $12,476,332, down .74 percent from the net municipal budget of 2025-2026, of $13,132.104 million. The gross appropriations for the municipal budget are $15,851,755, up 5.0% from 2025-2026. Additional assessments for 2026-2027 are:

MSAD 28 Assessment: $8,458,422
CSD School Assessment: $5,017,772
CSD Adult Education: $92,444
Knox County Assessment: $1,924,232

Municipal ordinance amendments include:

Article 3: Shall the Town adopt the amendments to the Rockport Land use Ordinance Map in accordance with the 2025 Comprehensive Plan?
The proposed zoning map amendment includes many parcels in town that either had two, or more, zone districts over them and are proposed to converge to one district, as well as changing some zone districts over parcels that do not meet the purpose of the existing zone district to a zone district that is more suitable and stays with the character of the area.

Article 4: Shall the Town adopt amendments to the Rockport Subdivision Ordinance?
This amendment simplifies the Planning Board subdivision review process, by reducing the number of meetings required from three to four down to one.

Article 5: Shall the Town adopt amendments to the Rockport Land Ordinance regarding Chapters 300, 800, 900 and 1300?
This article amends the Land Use Ordinance in accordance with implementation of the Comprehensive Plan. Amended areas includes clean up items, definition clarification, a density bonus specific to the 901 Harbor Village District which would allow an additional building story and allow drive through restaurants within 0.5 miles of the Town of Rockland Line and within the 906-zone district with frontage on US-1.

ST. GEORGE
The St. George K-8 proposed school budget of $8,247,983 (a 2.02% increase) will go before voters June 9 at the polls, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the St. George Town Office.

The Thomaston warrant includes a proposed $6,475,374 municipal budget, up from the current budget of $5,901,261, up 9.7 percent. The warrant also has 16 proposed ordinance amendments, including Article III, a revision that combines existing fire and EMS departments into one fire and EMS department, to be known as the Thomaston Fire and EMS Department. Voters will also consider amending ordinances governing cemeteries, the library, special amusements (to regulate dancing and music at establishments licensed to sell alcohol, the Board of Appeals and Assessment, land use ordinance (no permit to be granted to applicant who owes back taxes on property), land use ordinance to install rapid entry key systems (Knox Boxes) so that the Fire Dept. can gain access quickly in the event of emergencies, land use ordinance to set minimum maintenance standards on buildings and property for the sake of public health; building permit rules; adding language to quarrying and mineral extraction projects; short term rental rules; street opening and driveway permit amendments; amend definitions in the land use ordinance; to regulate removal, processing and storage of minerals, top soil, sand and gravel, and to disallow fracking; to move two lots from the rural residential and farming district to urban residential; and finally, to exoand the final comments on a subdivision plan to include the town manager, police chief, and other town officials.

THOMASTON
Thomaston’s Annual Town Meeting will take place over two days, beginning June 9 at the polls, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., at the Thomaston Municipal Building (former Lura Libby School, 13 Valley Street) where voters will choose two Select Board members from a field of three: Cynthia Belk, Peter Lammert and Robert Rasmussen. They will also consider the primary candidates for state and national offices. Thomaston held a Meet the Candidates evening May 27 that was streamed live and available to watch.

Thomaston voters will also consider the $41,383,070 RSU 13 budget, up $305,677, or .74 percent, from the current budget. RSU 13 provides K-12 public education to students from Cushing, Owls Head, Rockland, South Thomaston and Thomaston.

On June 10, citizens will gather at the Thomaston Municipal Building at 6 p.m. for annual Town Meeting and consider questions 3 through 46 on the Thomaston Municipal Warrant.

UNION
Union’s Annual Town Meeting takes place June 9 at the polls, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., at the William L. Pullen Municipal Building Meeting Room. At the polls, voters will consider candidates running uncontested races for various offices. Steven Migliorini is running unopposed for Select Board for a two-year term, and Linda Waltz-Mountainland is running unopposed for a three-year term. Joel Wentworth, Sr., is seeking a two-year term on the Cemetery Trust Fund, while Lanson Dean and Ronald Hawes are running unopposed on that same committee for three-year terms. Jaine Jacobs and John Mountainland are running unopposed for three-year terms on the Budget Committee. Timothy Wood is seeking a four-year term to the William L. Pullen Fund. Finian Kelly is running unopposed for a three-year term on the RSU 40 School Boad.

There is also a June 9 municipal ballot that includes the town warrant with 36 articles. In additional to annual housekeeping items, and considering the municipal 2027 budget, voters will also decide if they want to apply for federal funding to redevelop the Heald Recreation Area and spend local matching funds for the project. Article 5 on the warrant says: To see if the Town will authorize the Select Board to apply, on behalf of the Town, for federal financing assistance under the provisions of the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act, Public Law 88-578 for the redevelopment of the Heald Recreation Area (basketball and tennis courts); and further authorize the Select Board to enter into the Land and Water Conservation Fund Project Agreement with the State subsequent to federal approval of the project. The estimated grant application funding request is $600,000 ($300,000 refundable), and to see if the Town will vote to expend up to $300,000 from the Parks & Recreation Reserve Account to match the said Land and Water Conservation Grant funds. All to be contingent upon approval of federal funds. Note: If approved, it is anticipated that the Town will apply for a Land and Water Conservation Grant in June, with expectations of hearing the results of the award during the fall of 2026.

The proposed Union 2026-2027 municipal budget is $4,743,071,up 6.27% ($280,030.18) from the current $$4,331,158 budget. According to the Union budget summary, "The Net Budget (with estimated revenues $1,261,980.46), is a 4.2% net increase. At this time we have the Tri-County assessment figures, while the School and County have not completed its process. As has been the message for many years, we can’t base our budget on what these outside assessments are, we need to build a budget that best reflects our operational needs. Revenues listed in this budget are estimated based on what we know today and trends from past budget cycles."

The budget drivers, according to the town, include the, "Comprehensive Plan & Contracted Planning Services, Assessing Agent’s Contract, Health Benefits – New enrollment and shifting in benefit elections, Per-Diem EMS providers & Firefighters $1.00 per hour wage increase

VINALHAVEN
On June 9, voters will consider electing two Select Board members from a field of four candidates. They are: Jensen Bruns, John Morton, Brandon Osgood and Ev Wadleigh-Silver. They will also vote to approve or reject the School Administrative District 8 (Vinalhaven School, K-12) 2026-2027 $5,461 million budget, which is up 2.93 percent from the current budget.

Vinalhaven holds its in-person town meeting June 11, 6 p.m., at the Vinalhaven School Auditorium. Voters will consider two warrants: the 36-article budget and municipal business warrant, and then immediately following, there will be special town meeting with a warrant dedicated solely to Debt Service Assumption Agreements among the Town, the Vinalhaven Water District, and the Maine Municipal Bond Bank, by which the Town will unconditionally agree to make debt services payments on Revenue Obligation Notes issued by the Water District through the Bond Bank in the event that the Water District fails to make debt service payments. The Water District’s Revenue Obligation Notes are issued in the aggregate principal amount of $375,000 (with up to $131,250 in principal forgiveness under the State Drinking Water State Revolving Loan Fund Program) for the Main Street Water Main Replacement and Disinfectant Byproduct (DBP) Mitigation.

WALDOBORO

Waldoboro’s Annual Town Meeting will take place June 9 at the polls, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., at the Waldoboro Municipal Building, 1600 Atlantic Highway (Route 1). Waldoboro produces a comprehensive Voter's Guide, with information about articles and budgets. Voters will consider electing two Select Board members for a three-year term from a slate of four. Candidates for the Select Board are John Blodgett, William Bragg, Ann Leamon and Shane McGarvey, They will also choose between four candidates for two seats on the RSU 40 board, Seth Hall, Sonja Sleeper, Robert Smith and Melvin Williams. No candidates are seeking a seat on the Utility District, which has two empty seats. Three residents seeking a seat on the Budget Committee, which has four empty positions. The three are John Bergs, Robert Butler and Jan Minzy.

The Town Meeting Warrant will be addressed entirely by secret ballot, and includes a $8.84 million municipal budget, up from the $8.5 million of 2025-2026 budget.

Voters will also consider approving a $40 million budget for RSU 40.Waldoboro's share will be $9.5 million, up $890,656, or 10.4 percent, from the 2025-2026 budget of $8.5 million. See RSU 40 budget information here. RSU 40 comprises Waldoboro, Warren, Friendship, Washington and Union K-12 public schools. Voters will be asked June 9 if they want to borrow $3,963 million to repairs and renovations to the indoor air quality at Union Elementary School and to to address hazardous materials including asbestos remediation and replacement of the water tank to treat for arsenic at Medomak Valley High School. Voters will also be asked to borrow $24,911,164 to make renovations and health and safety improvements at Medomak Valley High School.

Maine Political Primaries
The General Election will be held Nov. 3, but first come the party primaries, on June 9, for Governor, Congressional representatives, legislators and county officers. As well, voters will consider candidates for Select Boards, School, Budget and other municipal committees. Maine currently has four qualified parties: Democratic, Green Independent, Libertarian and Republican that participate in primary elections. Although some unenrolled candidates choose to designate themselves as “Independent,” there is no “Independent” party in Maine. Candidates running for party endorsement follow:

U.S. Senate
Maine became the 23rd state to join the Union on March 15, 1820. Maine has two Senate seats: Angus King holds his six-year seat until the end of the 121st Congress on January 3, 2031. Susan Collins is up for reelection in November and she is the lone Republican on the June 9 Republican Party primary ticket. Those seeking her seat whose names will appear on the June 9 ballot on the Democratic primary ticket are:
David Costello, Brunswick
Janet Mills suspended her campaign April 30.
Graham Platner, Sullivan
Andrea LaFlamme, of Bangor, is a declared write-in whose name will not appear on the ballot but is registered with the state.

Congressional District 1 (Cumberland, Kennebec, Knox, Lincoln, Sagadahoc and York counties)
Democratic Party
Incumbent Chellie Pingree, North Haven

Republican Party
Joshua Pietrowicz, New Gloucester
Ronald Russell, Kennebunkport

Congressional District 2 (The largest district by area east of the Mississippi River, comprises Androscoggin, Aroostook, Franklin, Hancock, Oxford, Penobscot, Piscataquis, Somerset, Waldo, Washington counties)

Democratic Party
Joseph Baldacci, Bangor
Matthew Dunlap, Old Town
Paige Loud, Old Town
Jordan Wood, Auburn

Republican Party
Paul LePage, Augusta

Governor
Democratic Party
Shenna Bellows, Manchester
Troy Jackson, Allagash
Angus King III, Portland
Hannah Pingree, North Haven
Nirav Shah, Brunswick

Republican Party:
Jonathan Bush, Cape Elizabeth
Robert Charles, Leeds
David Jones, Falmouth
James Libby, Standish, suspended campaign
Garrett Mason, Lisbon
Owen McCarthy, Gorham
Benjamin Midgley, Kennebunkport
Robert Wessels, Paris

Knox County Sheriff’s Race Candidates
Democratic Party
John Hansen, St. George
Patrick Polky, St. George

Waldo County Sheriff’s Race Candidates
Democratic Party
Jason Trundy, Lincolnville

District Attorney, Sixth Prosecutorial District of Maine (Sagadahoc, Lincoln, Knox, and Waldo counties)
Natasha Irving
Barbara Cray

MAINE SENATE CANDIDATES

DISTRICT 11
Serves: Waldo County
Glenn ‘Chip’ Curry (D), Belfast
Ryan Otis (R), Belfast

DISTRICT 12
Serves: Knox County, except Isle au Haut and Washington
Ann Matlack (D), St. George
Nicole Lynn Kalloch (R), Rockland

DISTRICT 13
Serves: Lincoln County plus Washington
Cameron Reny (D), Round Pond
Mitchell, Edwin M.

MAINE HOUSE of REPRESENTATIVE CANDIDATES

DISTRICT 15
Serves: Isle au Haut and Vinalhaven (and Brooklin, Deer Isle, Frenchboro, Marshall Island, Southwest Harbor, Stonington, Swan's Island, Tremont)
Holly Eaton (D) Deer Isle

DISTRICT 37
Serves: Friendship (part), Prospect, Searsport, Stockton Springs, Winterport
Alan Lee Orcutt (D), Searsport
Reagan Paul (R) Winterport

DISTRICT 38
Serves: Brooks, Friendship (part) Jackson, Knox, Monroe, Swanville, Thorndike, Unity, Waldo
Jason Cherry, (D) Unity
Benjamin Hymes (R), Waldo
Kayla Miller (D), Swanville

DISTRICT 39
Serves: Belfast, Belmont and Northport
Madison Cook (D), Belfast
Michael Nicholson (R), Belfast

DISTRICT 40
Serves: Appleton, Islesboro, Liberty, Lincolnville, Montville, Morrill, Searsmont
David Michael Ray (D), Lincolnville
Joseph McLaughlin (R), Lincolnville

DISTRICT 41
Serves: Camden and Rockport
Joshua Gerritsen (D), Rockport
Marcus Mrowka (D), Camden
Cory Raymond (R), Rockport

DISTRICT 42
Serves: Criehaven, Owls Head (part), Matinicus Isle, Mussel Ridge Islands, North Haven, Rockland
Joy Melissa Byer (R), Rockland
Valli Geiger (D), Rockland

DISTRICT 43
Serves: Cushing, Owls Head (part), South Thomaston, St. George, Thomaston
Christopher Austin (R), Spruce Head
Michael Sweeny Flanagan (R), Thomaston
Rhiannon Hampson (D) Thomaston

DISTRICT 44
Serves: Hope, Union, Warren
Brady Alden Clark (R), Hope
Ray Thombs (R), Union

DISTRICT 45
Serves: Friendship, Washington, Waldoboro
Rebecca Stephens, Waldoboro

DISTRICT 62
Serves: Palermo
Kristine A Poland (Unenrolled), Bristol

DISTRICT 63
Serves: Freedom
Paul Flynn (Republican), Albion
Taylor Marie West (D), Winslow

DISTRICT 68
Serves: Burnham and Troy
Noelle Collamore (R) Pittsfield

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