WATERVILLE, Maine — Nearly all of the candidates seeking to become Maine’s next governor rubbed shoulders in a Waterville hotel on Thursday morning in one of the first major events of the nascent 2026 campaign.

Rather than causing sparks in a polarizing political environment currently marked by a federal government shutdown , the opportunity to hear from 16 contenders — from the biggest names to unknowns — produced a cordial atmosphere of stump speeches and moments of agreement.

There was plenty of handshaking and backslapping in a Best Western Plus conference room. Angus King III, a Democrat, sat near former fitness executive Ben Midgley, a Republican. Two Republicans who have been criticizing each other, Bobby Charles and David Jones, chatted on the sidelines. Charles nodded along wi

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