State Sen. Rick Bennett announced Tuesday that he's unenrolling from the Republican party to run for governor as an independent, an entry that could shake up the 2026 contest for the Democratic and Republican nominees next year.

Nineteen-thousand Mainers experience sexual violence every year, but Maine still does not have a statewide rape kit tracking system.

The Republican lawmaker from Oxford intends to run as an independent candidate for Maine governor in the 2026 election.

State Sen. Rick Bennett announced Tuesday that he's unenrolling from the Republican party to run for governor as an independent, an entry that could shake up the 2026 contest for the Democratic and Republican nominees next year.

After decades of public service as a Republican, state Sen. Rick Bennett of Oxford announced on Tuesday that he is running for governor as an independent.