Bobby Charles Statement on Ranked Choice Voting and Tonight

BREAKING STATEMENT: While Maine GOP frontrunner Bobby Charles and Robert Wessels were discussing faith, prayer, and the future of Maine in a Facebook Live conversation, an alternate universe was unfolding elsewhere: career politicians and Never Trump insiders were publicly jousting over how best to cozy up to Shenna Bellows and manipulate Ranked Choice Voting strategy.

Republican primary voters are not pawns of the political class to be traded, manipulated, and bargained with behind closed doors. What voters heard was shocking, and it should concern every Republican in Maine.

Every one of these candidates has publicly claimed to oppose Ranked Choice Voting, yet now they are openly building their desperate closing campaign strategy around Ranked Choice Voting manipulation and backroom coordination.

“If these candidates are willing to manipulate and game Ranked Choice Voting to win a Republican primary, why would anyone believe they would ever truly fight to repeal it as Governor? Maine Republicans deserve leaders with conviction, not politicians who oppose Ranked Choice Voting in public while relying on it behind closed doors. And frankly, if they cannot be trusted to keep their word on Ranked Choice Voting during a primary campaign, how can voters trust them to do anything they promise as Governor?

I do not trust Trump-hating Shenna Bellows to oversee anything involving Maine elections, which is exactly why our campaign is urging voters to vote straight across the ballot. Bellows, who deserves investigation over ballot handling and election concerns, should not be put in a position to influence who becomes the Republican nominee for Governor.

If you truly want to end Ranked Choice Voting in Maine, there is clearly only one choice on June 9.” — Bobby Charles

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