Maine Politics Insider: 
There’s a yawning gap in the gubernatorial money race.
By Michael Shepherd
Democrat Hannah Pingree continues to crush her opponents in the money race, reporting $4.3 million raised and nearly $1.2 million in the bank as of Sept. 15 in filings due Tuesday to the Maine Ethics Commission.
Our partners at Decision Desk HQ have her at an 87% chance to win the election. Republican Bobby Charles and independent state Sen. Rick Bennett are going into the final stretch at a big resource disadvantage.
Charles has raised $1.8 million and spent $1.4 million, and carries a $250,000 loan to his own campaign, leaving him with $395,000 on hand. Bennett raised $927,000 with $90,000 in the bank.
The Republican may have to refund some money. His filing attributes $6,000 more in donations than the legal maximum from one couple. If that is true, his total amount raised would be lower.
Outside money is starting to pile in for Pingree as well. Pine Tree Prosperity, the arm of the Democratic Governors Association, dropped an abortion-focused ad against Charles on Tuesday. Watch it.
That group has reserved $8.2 million in ads through November, making it the only major outside spender in the race so far.
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