WESTBROOK, Maine — Republican nominee Bobby Charles delivered a command performance in the fourth and final televised debate of the Maine governor’s race Wednesday night on WMTW, once again putting the Mills–Pingree record on trial while laying out concrete plans to cut crime, cut taxes, restore schools, and end the nonsense in Augusta.

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With less than three weeks until Election Day and early voting underway, Charles used the hour to keep the focus where Mainers live: failing schools, rising costs, hospital closures, housing shortages, and public safety. Live coverage from the Bangor Daily News and other outlets documented his consistent message that the next governor must reverse the policies of the last eight years—not continue them.

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Key Moments

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On education, Charles called Maine’s schools “an embarrassment,” blaming Governor Janet Mills and Hannah Pingree for the collapse in test scores from near the top of the nation in the 1990s to near the bottom today.

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He outlined a top-to-bottom review of the Education Department, a “master teacher” as commissioner, a rewritten state curriculum, restored trades programs, support for private schools and homeschooling, continued 55% state funding, and enforcement of Title IX to keep biological males out of girls’ sports and spaces. “They’ve destroyed the system,” he said, adding that his goal is to make Maine “the best in the country” again.

He directly confronted Pingree’s record: “We are in a world of hurt because of you, Hannah.” On healthcare, he linked rural hospital closures and MaineCare problems to the Mills administration’s expansion without adequate funding and late payments, while rejecting claims he wants to cut coverage for citizens.

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When opponents tried to nationalize the race around President Trump, Charles responded: “Maine is spelled M-A-I-N-E, not T-R-U-M-P.” He added, “I call balls and strikes. I have from the beginning. I will forever,” while noting he has never met the president and has publicly disagreed with him on tariffs and other issues.

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He also pushed back on abortion questions by noting the issue “comes up almost never” with voters, stated he agrees with the large majority of Mainers who oppose late-term abortions and public funding, and disputed characterizations of his past comments on election security and ICE.

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Social Media and Campaign Clips

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The campaign immediately shared clips capturing the energy and contrast on stage. As Charles posted on X ahead of and during the night: “Hannah is right. I plan to spend the entire debate reminding her how Janet Mills and her destroyed our state, and giving my plans to fix the mess she created.”

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Campaign Facebook reels highlighted the exchanges:

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• https://www.facebook.com/reel/4760234834227635
• https://www.facebook.com/reel/2295209181266214

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These clips, consistent with Charles’s approach throughout the four debates, show him refusing to let the hour stay limited to rehearsed talking points and forcing the record of higher costs, failing schools, and insider dealing into the open. Previous debates produced similar viral moments that Mainers shared widely.

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The Choice Is Clear

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Throughout the cycle Charles has argued that inviting the same team that created the problems back to fix them “makes no sense whatsoever.” Wednesday’s debate was the final shared stage before November 3. Early voting is open. The choice is between more of the Mills–Pingree status quo or a crime-fighter, Navy veteran, and outsider with a plan to cut crime, cut taxes, and restore accountability.

Cut crime. Cut taxes. No nonsense.
Learn more and join the movement at BobbyForMaine.com.

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