The Candidate: Rick Bennett

Описание: State Senator Rick Bennett sat down Wednesday with Matt Gagnon at MPI headquarters to discuss the 2026 gubernatorial campaign, and his candidacy.

Bennett is a familiar name to those who have followed Maine politics for years. He has been a member of the State Legislature on two occasions, the first of which saw him become Senate President in a unique power-sharing agreement with then state Senator Mike Michaud in 2001.

Since that time Bennett first returned to the private sector, where he served as the CEO and then Chairman of GMI Ratings and its predecessor, The Corporate Library, an investment research firm headquartered in Portland, Maine, with offices in New York, San Diego and London.

Bennett returned to politics in 2012, running for the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Olympia Snowe. Later he was elected chairman of the Maine Republican Party, a position he would hold until 2017.

In 2020, Bennett was again elected to the Maine Senate, and has been serving his second stint in the Legislature ever since.

Our discussion focused on his political background, the lessons he has learned having been involved in Maine politics over the years, and his decision to step away from the Republican party and run for governor as an independent. We also get into Maine’s bitter political climate, and the substantial problems that the state’s next governor will have to face, including budgetary challenges, housing, energy and education.

This interview is the seventh in a series of interviews that Maine Policy Institute is conducting with those seeking to be elected governor of Maine. If you missed our prior conversations with Bobby Charles, Jim Libby, David Jones, Owen McCarthy, Ben Midgley, or Jonathan Bush, make sure you head to our interview archive to catch up on them today.

Maine Policy Institute does not endorse candidates or involve itself in political campaigns. We are bringing you conversations like this so you may better understand the priorities of individuals who seek powerful positions in Maine’s government.