The Scoop
A new candidate is jumping into Maine’s gubernatorial race with a name that should be very familiar to voters: Angus King III.
King III, the son of Maine Sen. Angus King, told Semafor that he’s running to succeed term-limited Gov. Janet Mills in 2026. Unlike his independent father, King is running for the Democratic nomination — joining what should be a competitive primary in a state where Republicans (except Susan Collins) have struggled to win key races over the past eight years.
In an interview, King emphasized both his appeal as a political outsider; he has not served in elected office, and has focused his career on clean energy and housing. He’s also candid about his easy endorsement from one of the state’s most popular politicians: his father, who just won a third term in the Senate and served two terms as governor.
“That’s a little bit like asking Wayne Gretzky’s kid as he steps out on the ice: ‘Do you think it helped you to have Wayne Gretzky as your dad?’ The answer is: Of course,” King told Semafor when asked about the role of his father’s support.
“He taught me how to bring people together, how to focus on what we’ve got in common,” King added. “Those are important pieces of who I am and how I’d behave as governor.”
King’s nickname as a child was “Goose,” though he said only people he’s known for a long time call him by that name and added that “unfortunately, pretty much everyone calls me Angus” — just like his dad. That’s going to make for some pretty confusing times in Maine politics.
As for Mills, King said she “has done a good job — and through some tough circumstances” as governor. Mills became a national name after she publicly tangled with President Donald Trump over his efforts to bar transgender athletes from high school sports; Mills told Trump, “See you in court,” after he asked her to comply with his order.
Asked for his view on the fight, King replied: “That’s a complicated issue. As a parent, I understand why it’s such a hard issue. What I also understand, though, very deeply, is there is no circumstance where an adult should be bullying a kid. That’s just wrong. And I think we’ve got to solve these kinds of issues in a more constructive way.”
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King’s launch video emphasizes what he’s built — and doesn’t even mention Trump. He describes himself as “pragmatic, moderate,” and said though he dislikes political labels, “I am a Democrat. That label, I’m pretty comfortable with.”
Asked how he might handle Trump, who threatened to freeze food funding slated for Maine schools, King said that if he’s elected, he’d work with Trump to improve the state, but that “the role of the governor is both to serve but also to protect the people in the state of Maine. And if the president stands in the way of that, I’ll stand up to him.”
“What President Trump is doing right now in the state of Maine — or attempted — frankly, is unprecedented,” King III said. “You could be an Independent or a Republican, or you could live in outer space. You would know it’s just not right to play politics with kids’ school lunches.”
The Trump administration and the state reached a deal resolving the food funding row last week.
It’s far too early to figure out where King starts in a race that’s still forming. Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows is already in the race, and several other well-known Democrats are weighing bids, including Rep. Jared Golden, a centrist Democrat who has experience winning over Trump voters. King III declined to comment on Golden.
“We’re going to have a great primary. I think there are people, some who have announced, some who I think are about to, who’ve had long careers in Augusta,” King said. “I’m an outsider.”