2026 Maine GOP Gubernatorial Candidates on 2A & Moose Hunt

Posted on: May 11, 2026

Join POMA member John Petrolino, The Pen Patriot®, as he interviews the top four GOP candidates running for Governor of Maine in 2026.

There’s a crowded GOP slate of candidates in the state of Maine. Petrolino spoke to the top four frontrunners — out of the seven total — vying for the spot. Through these interviews, Petrolino asks the candidates about their stances on the Second Amendment and the all-important annual Maine moose hunt.

Topics discussed include:

• The Maine moose hunt

• Studies on lead ammunition use:

• The Second Amendment

• So-called “red flag” laws

• So-called “large-capacity magazine” bans

• So-called “safe storage” mandates

• The so-called "ghost gun” bans/regulations

• Restoration of rights to non-violent felons

• So-called “assault weapons” ban

You can check out the four interviews over at Petrolino’s YouTube channel and the following links:

Jonathan Bush: 2026 Maine GOP Gubernatorial Candidate

Bobby Charles: 2026 Maine GOP Gubernatorial Candidate 

Garrett Mason: 2026 Maine GOP Gubernatorial Candidate

Ben Midgley: 2026 Maine GOP Gubernatorial Candidate

The Maine primary election is scheduled for June 9, 2026. Early voting runs from May 10 until June 4. As of the date of publication, the GOP candidates running in the gubernatorial primary are: Jonathan Bush, Bobby Charles, David Jones, Garrett Mason, Owen McCarthy, Ben Midgley, and Robert J. Wessels.

About John Petrolino:

John Petrolino is an award-winning freelance journalist who covers the Second Amendment and is a proud member of POMA. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, a 501(c)(4) Second Amendment advocacy group. In 2020 Petrolino released his book, “Decoding Firearms.” His work is primarily published at Bearing Arms, Shooting News Weekly, AmmoLand News, and News2A. Petrolino owns and operates The Square Reviews, a product and travel review site.