A sibling dispute is now playing out in the governor’s race in Maine, where the sister of Republican nominee Bobby Charles said publicly that she’s supporting his opponent.
Anita Charles, a Lewiston resident, wrote in the Portland Press Herald that she and her brother have never agreed politically but have historically managed their divisions with “civility.” But, she said, an increasing amount of divisive language in her brother’s campaign has motivated her to endorse the Democratic nominee, Hannah Pingree.
Anita Charles wrote in the op-ed that the pair’s mother taught them to respect diversity and treat others with “dignity” while growing up in Maine.
“Those lessons shaped my entire life, as well as my career,” Anita Charles wrote. “They are also the reason I cannot support my brother’s campaign for governor.”
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Noting she has been a “lifelong educator,” Anita Charles said she specifically opposes her brother’s proposed policies for Maine’s education system and criticized his comments on the public school system.
Bobby Charles has expressed support for a Republican-backed agenda that increases parental involvement in curriculum and ends diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in schools. He’s dubbed the program a “no-nonsense” plan.
“I do not believe Bobby has set foot in a public school since he was 18,” Anita Charles wrote. “He has not witnessed what Maine educators do every day, yet he speaks with false certainty about what is wrong with our schools. He’s a D.C. lobbyist who spent more than 30 years in Washington.”
She also noted her brother’s relationship with disgraced former House Speaker Dennis Hastert, who admitted to sexually abusing teenage boys and covering up the abuse. Anita Charles wrote that she was the victim of sexual violence by an adult as a child, a fact she said her brother has known for more than 50 years.
She added that her brother’s position on abortion is also difficult for her to accept as a victim of sexual assault. Bobby Charles has called himself “unapologetically pro-life.”
“Maine deserves leadership rooted in empathy, dignity, intellectual honesty and respect for every person who calls this state home,” Anita Charles wrote. “That person is not Bobby. That is why I cannot, in good conscience, support my brother’s campaign for governor. I’m casting my vote for Hannah Pingree.”
Bobby Charles told local media Wednesday that he loves his sister and called for a broader discussion over their disagreements on various policy issues including education, public safety and abortion, News Center Maine reported.
The candidate grew emotional while speaking about his sister’s assault, clarifying his views on abortion.
“I don’t believe in late-term abortion, he said. “I don’t think the public should be paying for abortions, but it’s not my big issue. And to be honest, that kind of a situation is so horrifying that, of course, there are exceptions.”
A poll commissioned by the Portland Press Herald and The New York Times and conducted by Siena Research in June found that Pingree had a sizable lead over Charles, with 50% of voters saying they’d vote for her to Charles’ 36%.
Bobby Charles’ campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Washington Sun.
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