Governor of Maine

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Maine Governor

Seal of Maine.png

General information
Office Type:  Partisan
Office website:  Official Link
Compensation:  $70,000
2023 FY Budget:  $4,002,014
Term limits:  2 consecutive terms
Structure
Length of term:   4 years
Authority:  Maine Constitution, Article IV, Part I
Selection Method:  Elected
Current Officeholder

Governor of Maine Janet T. Mills
Democratic Party
Assumed office: January 2, 2019

Elections
Next election:  November 3, 2026
Last election:  November 8, 2022
Other Maine Executive Offices
Governor • Secretary of State • Attorney General • Treasurer • Auditor • Commissioner of Education • Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry Commissioner • Superintendent of Insurance • Labor Commissioner • Public Utilities Commission

The Governor of the State of Maine is an elected constitutional officer, the head of the executive branch and the highest state office in Maine. The governor is popularly elected every four years by a plurality and is limited to two consecutive terms. There is not, however, a limit on the number of total terms a governor may serve.[1]


Before Maine earned statehood in 1820, the governor of Massachusetts served as the state's top executive.

Maine has a Democratic trifecta. The Democratic Party controls the office of governor and both chambers of the state legislature.


Maine has a Democratic triplex. The Democratic Party controls the offices of governor, secretary of state, and attorney general.

See also: Maine State Legislature, Maine House of Representatives, Maine State Senate

Current officer

The 75th and current officeholder is Democratic Governor Janet T. Mills. She was first elected in 2018.[2]

Authority

The state Constitution addresses the office of the governor in Article IV, Part I, the Executive Department.

Under Article IV, Part I, Section I:

The supreme executive power of this State shall be vested in a Governor.[1]

Qualifications

State Executives
StateExecLogo.png
Current Governors
Gubernatorial Elections
2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014
Current Lt. Governors
Lt. Governor Elections
2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014
See also: 1955 Ballot measure specifying citizenship requirement

A candidate for governor is required to be:

  • at least 30 years of age
  • a United States Citizen for at least 15 years
  • a Maine resident for at least five years, resident of Maine at the time of election and during the term for which elected.

During his/her tenure in office, a statewide elected official shall hold no other public office.[1]

Elections

See also: Maine Determining Election of Governor, Proposed Constitutional Amendment No. 7 (1964)
Maine state government organizational chart

Maine elects governors in the midterm elections, that is, even years that are not presidential election years. For Maine, 2018 and 2022 are gubernatorial election years. Legally, the gubernatorial inauguration is always set for the first Tuesday in the January following an election.

2022

See also: Maine gubernatorial election, 2022

General election

General election for Governor of Maine

Incumbent Janet T. Mills defeated Paul LePage and Sam Hunkler in the general election for Governor of Maine on November 8, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Janet T. Mills
Janet T. Mills (D)
 
55.7
 
376,934
Image of Paul LePage
Paul LePage (R)
 
42.4
 
287,304
Image of Sam Hunkler
Sam Hunkler (Independent)
 
1.9
 
12,581

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 676,819
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

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Democratic Primary for Governor of Maine

The following candidates advanced in the ranked-choice voting election: Janet T. Mills in round 1 .

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 69,422
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Republican primary election

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Republican Primary for Governor of Maine

The following candidates advanced in the ranked-choice voting election: Paul LePage in round 1 .

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 59,713
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.

2018

See also: Maine gubernatorial election, 2018

General election

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General election for Governor of Maine

The ranked-choice voting election was won by Janet T. Mills in round 1 .

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 630,667
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Democratic primary election

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Democratic Primary for Governor of Maine

The following candidates advanced in the ranked-choice voting election: Janet T. Mills in round 4 . The results of Round are displayed below. To see the results of other rounds, use the dropdown menu above to select a round and the table will update.

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source 1 Source 2

Total votes: 126,139
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Republican primary election

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Republican Primary for Governor of Maine

The following candidates advanced in the ranked-choice voting election: Shawn Moody in round 1 .

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.

Total votes: 94,382
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.

2014

See also: Maine gubernatorial election, 2014
Governor of Maine, 2014
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Republican Green check mark transparent.pngPaul LePage Incumbent 48.2% 294,519
     Democratic Mike Michaud 43.4% 265,114
     Independent Eliot Cutler 8.4% 51,515
     Nonpartisan Write-in votes 0% 79
Total Votes 611,227
Election results via Maine Bureau of Corporations, Elections & Commissions

Term limits

See also: States with gubernatorial term limits
See also: Ballot measure to set term length at 4 years

Maine governors are restricted to two consecutive terms in office, after which they must wait one term before being eligible to run again.

Maine Constitution, Article V. -- Part First, Section 2

The person who has served 2 consecutive popular elective 4-year terms of office as Governor shall be ineligible to succeed himself or herself.[1]

Partisan composition

The chart below shows the partisan breakdown of Maine governors from 1992 to 2013.

Governor of Maine Partisanship.PNG

Vacancies

See also: How gubernatorial vacancies are filled
See also: Maine Gubernatorial Vacancy Filling, Proposed Constitutional Amendment No. 8 (1964)

Details of vacancy appointments are addressed under Article IV, Sections 14 and 15.

Maine is one of five states that lack a formal office of lieutenant governor. Instead, the first person in the line of succession is the President of the Senate. If the vacancy occurs more than 90 days ahead of the next scheduled primary election for a biennial general election, then a special election for the governorship shall be part of the ballot. Whoever wins that election will take office on the second Wednesday in January after the election.

If fewer than 90 days are left until a scheduled primary, the Senate President simply fills the remainder of the term. After the Senate President, the Speaker of the House of Representatives and then the secretary of state are next in line.

If mental health keeps the elected governor from discharging his office for more than six months, a super-majority of both chambers of the legislature shall present a joint resolution to the Maine Supreme Court, which will hold a hearing and issue a decision. When a physical or mental disability only causes a temporary inability to fulfill the requirements of the office, the same line of succession applies. The governor may declare herself or himself temporarily unable to serve to the Chief Justice of the Maine Supreme Court.

Whenever any other officer is serving as the acting governor, he or she shall be paid only the salary of the governorship and shall vacate his or her other office, leaving it to the legislature to appoint a successor.

Duties

Maine

The governor acts as commander-in-chief of "the army and navy of the State, and of the militia" (the Maine National Guard), "except when the same are called into the actual service of the United States."

The governor has the power to appoint officers, to appoint all judicial officers subject to confirmation except probate judges and justices of the peace if their manner of selection is otherwise provided for by the state constitution or by law, and to appoint and all other civil and military officers whose appointment is not by this constitution, or otherwise provided for by law.

The governor will have power to grant reprieves, commutations, and pardons, unless impeached. The power to grant reprieves, commutations, and pardons also includes juvenile offenses.[1]

Other duties and privileges of the office include:

  • Convening extraordinary sessions of the legislature, adjourning the legislature when necessary to so intervene, and moving the meeting place of the legislature under specific circumstances
  • Requiring reports and information from any officer of the state or of the state's militia on any circumstances of their job
  • Delivering information and recommending measures to the state's General Assembly from time to time

Divisions

Note: Ballotpedia's state executive officials project researches state official websites for information that describes the divisions (if any exist) of a state executive office. That information for the Governor of Maine has not yet been added. After extensive research we were unable to identify any relevant information on state official websites. If you have any additional information about this office for inclusion on this section and/or page, please email us.

State budget

Role in state budget

See also: Maine state budget and finances

The state operates on a biennial budget cycle. The sequence of key events in the budget process is as follows:[3]

  1. Budget instructions are sent to state agencies in July of the year preceding the start of the new biennium.
  2. State agencies submit their budget requests by September 1.
  3. The governor submits his or her proposed budget to the state legislature in January. This deadline is extended to February for a newly elected governor.
  4. The legislature adopts a budget by 30 days prior to its adjournment. A simple majority is required to pass a budget. The biennium begins on July 1.

Maine is one of 44 states in which the governor has line item veto authority.[3][4]

The governor is legally required to submit a balanced budget proposal. Likewise, the state legislature is legally required to pass a balanced budget.[3]

Governor's office budget

The Office of the Governor's budget for fiscal year 2023 was $4,002,014.[5]

Compensation

See also: Comparison of gubernatorial salaries and Compensation of state executive officers

The governor’s salary is determined by the Maine Legislative Council, an administrative body comprised of 10 elected members of legislative leadership. The council establishes salaries for all legislative employees, unless otherwise determine by law.[6]

Section 6 of the Maine Constitution prevents changes in salary to take effect until the next term for the affected office or offices.[1]

Maine Constitution, Section 6

Compensation. The Governor shall, at stated times, receive for services a compensation, which shall not be increased or diminished during the Governor's continuance in office.[1]

2022

In 2022, the officer's salary was $70,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[7]

2021

In 2021, the governor received a salary of $70,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[8]

2020

In 2020, the governor received a salary of $70,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[9]

2019

In 2019, the governor received a salary of $70,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[10]

2018

In 2018, the governor received a salary of $70,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[11]

2017

In 2017, the governor received a salary of $70,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[12]

2016

In 2016, the governor received a salary of $70,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[13]

2015

In 2015, the governor received a salary was $70,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[14]

2014

In 2014, the governor earned a salary of $70,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[15]

2013

In 2013, the governor's salary remained at $70,000, the lowest in the nation.[16]

2012

As of 2012, the governor was paid an estimated $70,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[17]

Historical officeholders

There have been 73 Governors of Maine since 1820. Of the 73 officeholders, 35 were Republican, 22 were Democrat, eight were Democratic-Republican, two were National Republican, three were Whig and three were Independent.[18]

History

Partisan balance 1992-2013

Who Runs the States Project
See also: Ballotpedia:Who Runs the States and Ballotpedia:Who Runs the States, Maine
Partisan breakdown of the Maine governorship from 1992-2013

From 1992-2013, in Maine there were Democratic governors in office for eight years while there were Republican governors in office for six years, including the last three.

Across the country, there were 493 years of Democratic governors (44.82%) and 586 years of Republican governors (53.27%) from 1992 to 2013.

Over the course of the 22-year study, state governments became increasingly more partisan. At the outset of the study period (1992), 18 of the 49 states with partisan legislatures had single-party trifectas and 31 states had divided governments. In 2013, only 13 states had divided governments, while single-party trifectas held sway in 36 states, the most in the 22 years studied.

The chart below shows the partisan composition of the Office of the Governor of Maine, the Maine State Senate and the Maine House of Representatives from 1992 to 2013.

Partisan composition of Maine state government(1992-2013).PNG

SQLI and partisanship

The chart below depicts the partisanship of the Maine state government and the state's SQLI ranking for the years studied. For the SQLI, the states were ranked from 1-50, with 1 being the best and 50 the worst. Between 1992 and 2002, the state experienced divided government until electing a Democratic trifecta, which occurred between 2003 and 2011. For two years (2011 and 2012), the state had a Republican trifecta before reverting back to divided government. Maine hit the bottom-10 in the SQLI ranking in 2006 and 2007 (42nd and 45th, respectively). Its highest ranking in the SQLI ranking occurred in 2012 (27th) under a Republican trifecta. The state rose seven points in the SQLI ranking between the years 2010 and 2011.

  • SQLI average with Democratic trifecta: 38.38
  • SQLI average with Republican trifecta: 28.00
  • SQLI average with divided government: 33.73
Chart displaying the partisanship of Maine government from 1992-2013 and the State Quality of Life Index (SQLI).

State profile

Demographic data for Maine
 MaineU.S.
Total population:1,329,453316,515,021
Land area (sq mi):30,8433,531,905
Race and ethnicity**
White:95%73.6%
Black/African American:1.1%12.6%
Asian:1.1%5.1%
Native American:0.6%0.8%
Pacific Islander:0%0.2%
Two or more:2%3%
Hispanic/Latino:1.5%17.1%
Education
High school graduation rate:91.6%86.7%
College graduation rate:29%29.8%
Income
Median household income:$49,331$53,889
Persons below poverty level:16.6%11.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015)
Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Maine.
**Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

Presidential voting pattern

See also: Presidential voting trends in Maine

Maine voted for the Democratic candidate in all six presidential elections between 2000 and 2020.

Pivot Counties (2016)

Ballotpedia identified 206 counties that voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016 after voting for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012. Collectively, Trump won these Pivot Counties by more than 580,000 votes. Of these 206 counties, eight are located in Maine, accounting for 3.88 percent of the total pivot counties.[19]

Pivot Counties (2020)

In 2020, Ballotpedia re-examined the 206 Pivot Counties to view their voting patterns following that year's presidential election. Ballotpedia defined those won by Trump won as Retained Pivot Counties and those won by Joe Biden (D) as Boomerang Pivot Counties. Nationwide, there were 181 Retained Pivot Counties and 25 Boomerang Pivot Counties. Maine had seven Retained Pivot Counties and one Boomerang Pivot County, accounting for 4.42 and 4.00 percent of all Retained and Boomerang Pivot Counties, respectively.

More Maine coverage on Ballotpedia

Contact information

Maine

Office of the Governor
1 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333
Phone:207-287-3531

See also

External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Maine.gov, "Constitution of the State of Maine," accessed January 18, 2021
  2. ↑ State of Maine Office of the Governor, "About the Governor," accessed January 18, 2021
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 National Association of State Budget Officers, "Budget Processes in the States, Spring 2021," accessed January 24, 2023
  4. ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "Separation of Powers: Executive Veto Powers," accessed January 26, 2024
  5. ↑ Maine Legislature, "2022-2023," accessed October 14, 2022
  6. ↑ Maine Legislature, "Legislative Council," accessed January 18, 2021
  7. ↑ Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2022 Table 4.11: Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," provided to Ballotpedia by CSG personnel
  8. ↑ Issuu, "The Book of the States 2021," accessed September 22, 2022
  9. ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2020," accessed January 18, 2021
  10. ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2019," accessed January 18, 2021
  11. ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2018," accessed January 18, 2021
  12. ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2017," accessed January 18, 2021
  13. ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2016," accessed January 18, 2021
  14. ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2015," accessed January 18, 2021
  15. ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed January 18, 2021
  16. ↑ Council of State Governments, "CSG Releases 2013 Governor Salaries," January 18, 2021
  17. ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed January 18, 2021
  18. ↑ National Governors Association, "Former Maine Governors," accessed January 18, 2021, State of Maine Office of Governor Janet T. Mills, "About the Governor," accessed January 18, 2021
  19. ↑ The raw data for this study was provided by Dave Leip of Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections.
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