Robert B. Charles
What this job does: Maine's top state official. The governor runs the state's departments, proposes the state budget, signs or vetoes bills passed by the Legislature, and picks judges and department heads (the state Senate must confirm them). A term is four years, and a governor can serve no more than two terms in a row.
- Occupation
- President and managing member of The Charles Group LLC, a Washington, D.C. consulting firm; former Assistant Secretary of State
- Lives in
- Leeds
Background
- Charles grew up in Wayne, Maine, and graduated from Maranacook High School. source: bobbyformaine.com
- Charles earned a B.A. from Dartmouth College (1982), an M.A. from New College, Oxford (1984), and a law degree from Columbia Law School (1987). source: en.wikipedia.org
- Charles was U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs from October 2003 to March 2005. source: en.wikipedia.org
- Charles served as a naval intelligence officer in the U.S. Navy Reserve from 1998 to 2009. source: en.wikipedia.org
- Charles worked in the Reagan and George H. W. Bush White Houses and was staff director and chief counsel of a U.S. House subcommittee on national security and criminal justice (1995-1999). source: en.wikipedia.org
- Charles won the June 9, 2026 Republican primary after seven rounds of ranked-choice counting, with 60.3% in the final round over Ben Midgley. source: en.wikipedia.org
In their own words
What the candidate says they will work on, from their campaign site or their answers to news-outlet questionnaires. We list it as stated and do not rate it.
- "CUT Crime": add at least 15% more Maine State Police troopers over four years, with priority for rural areas. source: stateside.com
- "CUT taxes": eliminate the state income tax and widen the homestead exemption. source: stateside.com
- "Stop the drug crisis": end needle exchange programs, move funding to treatment and recovery, and seek mandatory minimum sentences for fentanyl trafficking. source: stateside.com
- Require state agencies to "fully cooperate with ICE" and bar local sanctuary policies. source: stateside.com
- "Enforce common-sense policies on homelessness." source: bobbyformaine.com
Look them up yourself
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Something wrong or missing? This profile was compiled from public sources on October 16, 2026. Every fact links to where it came from.