Two political dynasties flamed out in Maine’s ranked-choice gubernatorial primaries earlier this month.
Republican Jonathan Bush, the nephew of former President George H. W. Bush and a cousin of former President George W. Bush, was eliminated from contention following the sixth round of tabulation.
On the Democratic side, Angus King III, the son of Sen. Angus King (D-Maine), was eliminated following the first round.
Democrat Hannah Pingree — the former speaker of the Maine House of Representatives and the daughter of Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) — and Republican Bobby Charles will compete this fall to succeed term-limited Democratic Gov. Janet Mills, the Maine Secretary of State’s Office confirmed Friday.
Jonathan Bush, who is also the brother of former “Access Hollywood” and “Extra” anchor Billy Bush, is best known as the founder of Athenahealth, a healthcare software company that he was pushed out of in 2018 after an activist investor purchased shares of the company.
The Bush scion had also been dogged by allegations that he had attacked his ex-wife and had been caught on camera making nasty remarks to a female colleague.
Despite being a member of a political dynasty, Bush portrayed himself as an outsider who would reverse Maine’s liberal policies. His loss means that the most recent Bush to hold political office was George P. Bush, who departed the Texas land commissioner post in 2023.
In addition to Bush and Charles, a former assistant US secretary of state under George W. Bush, the GOP field in the June 9 primary included former Maine Senate Majority Leader Garrett Mason; former Paris, Maine, selectman Robert Wessels; and businessmen Owen McCarthy, David Jones and Ben Midgley.
On the Democratic side, Pingree and King III, whose father served as governor from 1995 through 2003 and was elected to the Senate in 2012, were facing Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows; former Maine Senate President Troy Jackson; and former director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention Nirav Shah.
The younger King worked in the Clinton White House before returning to his home state to found energy firm Peaks Renewables, which he left last year to launch his gubernatorial campaign.
The elder King, a registered independent who caucuses with Democrats, is up for re-election in 2030.
Maine has used ranked choice voting since voters approved it in a 2016 referendum.
Under the system, voters were allowed to rank the candidates on their ballot in order of preference. If no candidate breaks 50% of the popular vote, the bottom finisher is eliminated, and the second choices of voters who supported that candidate are then counted. The tabulations continue until a candidate achieves a majority of the total votes.
