The Dispute Index

Bobby Charles

Robert B. Charles, known as Bobby Charles, is a lawyer and former U.S. Navy intelligence officer from Wayne, Maine. He attended Maranacook High School before studying at Dartmouth, Oxford and Columbia Law School. He is the Republican nominee for Maine governor in the 2026 election.

Republican candidate for Maine governor (2026)Also known as Robert B. CharlesWebsite (opens in a new tab)
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What we have documented

We have documented 2 statements by Bobby Charles, in 2 cases. Each statement below gives the quotation, its original source and a link to the full case.

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Statements by Bobby Charles

Bobby Charles

Role at the time: Maine gubernatorial candidate

Mixed or conditional

Statement summary

Charles opposed broad Flock deployment but said police should retain surveillance tools for serious investigations.

“I generally am against the broad use of Flock cameras. I'm also of the view that law enforcement needs tools to get the truly bad guys out of the state.”
Open the original interview (opens in a new tab)Maine governor candidates on Flock camerasCandidate interviews
Why we used this label

He rejects broad use while allowing targeted law-enforcement use.

Read statementFull case: Should Flock-style license-plate surveillance networks exist?

Bobby Charles

Role at the time: Republican nominee for governor of Maine

Defended or excused

Statement summary

Maine's Republican nominee for governor, Bobby Charles, told supporters at an August 20 event that he would ask White House border czar Tom Homan to send federal agents to polling places. According to audio obtained by the Associated Press, he said, "I'm going to make an appeal for ICE and marshals to be at our voting booths".

“I’m going to make an appeal for ICE and marshals to be at our voting booths”
Open source (opens in a new tab)GOP nominee for Maine governor calls for ICE agents at state polling places · Associated PressAssociated Press report of audio from an Aug. 20 event in Arundel, Maine, published Aug. 26, 2026
Why we used this label

The fixed reference point is the administration's stated or threatened use of ICE at or near polling places. Charles called for ICE and U.S. marshals to be at voting booths, which argues for deploying federal agents at polling places. He holds no federal office, so this is recorded as a candidate's position rather than an administration position.

Read statementFull case: Should ICE and other armed federal agents be allowed at or near polling places in the 2026 election?

A participant is a subject of the case. A speaker has a statement documented in it. A commentator has an opinion or editorial documented in it.

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