People › State Senate

Rick Bennett I

State Senator, District 18

On the November ballot: Governor (Oxford)

Findings

Prompts to look closer at the public records, each with the rule and the law it rests on. None is a finding of wrongdoing. All findings

Worth a look Lobbyists' money

1 contribution ($250) dated during a legislative session from a giver registered as lobbying that year

The campaign reported $250 from John Brautigam on 2026-01-11, during the Second Regular Session (lobbyist associate that lobbying year).

What to check

Whether the giver is the registered lobbyist or employer, not someone else with the same name
Whether the money was the giver's own (the law exempts money given on behalf of someone else)
Whether the campaign returned it (a return is listed above when the campaign reported one)

Date	From	Registered as	Amount
2026-01-11	John Brautigam (FALMOUTH)	lobbyist associate	$250

Rule: Contribution from a lobbyist, lobbyist's employer or lobbying firm during a legislative session

“The Governor, a member of the Legislature, a constitutional officer or the staff or agent of these officials may not intentionally solicit or accept a contribution from a lobbyist, lobbyist associate, employer of a lobbyist or lobbying firm during a legislative session.”1 MRSA §1015-A(2)(A) ✓ quoted from the saved copy · how this rule works

Home

Single-family home: $871,900 assessed

Oxford certified a ratio of 100% for 2024; a later assessment may follow a revaluation, so no market estimate is made.

From Oxford's assessing records, read by hand (the town's records can't be searched by owner). The address isn't published.

In the Legislature

Senate District 18 · 131st Legislature (2023–24), 132nd Legislature (2025–26) · 1,267 recorded votes, 2% not voting

Bills they sponsored: 84 (21 became law) — LD 11, LD 23, LD 138, LD 356, LD 358, LD 463, LD 464, LD 895, LD 1413, LD 1453, LD 1529, LD 1733, LD 1772, SP 8 …

Named in lobbyists' reports

Events and spending on officials that lobbyists reported to the Ethics Commission since 2024 and whose list of officials names Rick Bennett: 10 from 7 clients. The cost is the whole event's or item's, shared by everyone it names, not what was spent on them.

Client (lobbyist)	What, when	Cost (all named)
Appalachian Mountain Club Elizabeth Townsend	Event: reception · February 2026 · names 15 members	$1,902.59
	Event: informational reception · January 2025 · names 26 members	$1,726
	Event: Informational reception · January 2024 · names 24 members	$1,501.24
Maine Forest Products Council Patrick Strauch	Event: Legislative Breakfast/Timber Talk · April 2025 · names 27 members	$731.02
Maine Forest Products Council Patrick Strauch	Event: Legislative Breakfast · January 2025 · names 23 members	$720.50
Maine Children's Alliance Rita Furlow	Spent on officials: Gubernatorial event · February 2026	$67.53
Maine Center for Economic Policy Maura Pillsbury	Event: luncheon briefing · January 2026 · names 35 members	$505.19
Maine State Chamber of Commerce Linda Caprara	Event: Legislative Summit · February 2024	$285.49
Maine Association of REALTORS J. Andrew Cashman	Event: Meet & Greet · January 2024	$3,273.60
U.S. Term Limits Kenneth Quinn	Event: Lunch & Learn · January 2024 · names 22 members	$1,010.62

Matched by name and title (“Rep. Bell”, “Senator Brad Farrin”); a name that fits two members isn't counted. Check the reports on the lobbying system.

Campaign money: Governor · Traditionally financed

$923,674raised to date (the Commission's list, October 17, 2026); $832,723 spent

$915,336itemized in 2025 and 2026, 1,460 contributions

$530,428raised before 2026 (their 2025 reports)

$6,380from the candidate (incl. loans)

$90,951cash on hand on September 15, 2026 (42 Day Pre General Report)

Where their contributions come from

91%

IndividualsBusinessesTrade, professional and issue groupsLabor unionsTribal nationsPolitical partiesOther candidates and officeholders

Compare with all 2026 candidates →

How it was spent: $833,006

Staff and consultants$353,953

Not coded$295,446

Office and utilities$52,803

Professional services$51,002

Social media and online ads$24,003

Travel$14,480

Bank and other fees$11,638

Palm cards, signs, stickers$8,796

Petitions$6,339

Events$4,429

Largest payees: Kaitlin LaCasse $178,027 Staff and consultants · Sue Fothergill $60,419 Staff and consultants · Omnium Collective $57,885 Professional services · Election Hive $55,000 Professional services · K. LaCasse Consulting $44,000 Not coded · Kate Simmons $42,401 Staff and consultants · NationBuilder $38,949 Office and utilities · Riley Worth $35,451 Staff and consultants

Payments in 2026, by the Ethics Commission's expenditure codes.

Top contributors	Type	Total
Richard Bennett Consultant · self employed · OXFORD	The candidate	$6,380.02
Michael Troncoso attorney legal · Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP · San Jose	Person	$4,150.98
Maryellen Fitzgerald retired · NA · Cape Elizabeth	Person	$4,150
DeCourcy McIntosh retired · NA · Falmouth	Person	$4,150
Heather Jackson Other · State of Maine · BOWDOINHAM	Person	$4,150
Edward Gerry Consultant · STSLLC.com · South Freeport	Person	$4,150
Jean Marvin Other · Nonantum Resort · Scarborough	Person	$4,150
George Marvin retired · NA · Scarborough	Person	$4,150
J Maurice Bisson Accountant · self employed · Brunswick	Person	$4,150
Abigail Bennett Operational Risk Analyst · Mascoma Bank · Oxford	Person	$4,150
William Chalmers retired · Retired · Bridgton	Person	$4,150
Lawrence Lessig teacher education · Harvard University · Brookline	Person	$4,150
Kris Estes Not specified · Unknown · Lincoln	Person	$4,150
Nathaniel Bennett science technology · Roper Technologies · OXFORD	Person	$4,150
Maryfrances Metrick retired · Ridgefield	Person	$4,150

Bennett, Richard on the Ethics Commission's campaign finance search. Itemized transactions: 2026 from the Commission's files as posted October 17, 2026, and 2025 from the campaign's own reports.

Outside spending for and against them

$238,765spent supporting them

$8,880spent opposing them

Spender		Amount
No Nonsense PAC 6 expenditures · the race	for	$164,602
Maine Wins Together 4 expenditures · the race	for	$74,163
PLANNED PARENTHOOD MAINE ACTION FUND PAC 1 expenditure · the race	against	$8,880

Independent expenditures reported to the Ethics Commission in 2026. The candidate doesn't control them.

Their donors also gave to

Their largest donors who also funded other 2026 candidates.

Donor	To them	Candidates funded
Jean Marvin Other, Nonantum Resort · Scarborough	$4,150	2
John Higgins Financial Investment, John Higgins · Cape Elizabeth	$4,150	2
Robert Cleaves Other, self employed · South Portland	$4,150	2
James Clair Other, Unknown · China Village	$4,150	3
Sandra Bahre general business, SPEEDWAY INC · Oxford	$4,150	3
Gary Bahre retired, Unknown · Oxford	$4,150	4
Brenda Garrand Other, Garrand Partners · Rockland	$4,150	5
Brian Williams Financial Investment, self · Bangor	$4,150	3
Alexandra Angle Other, Requested · Portland	$4,150	2
Paul Boudreau consultant, self employed · Waterville	$4,138	3
David Perkins attorney legal, Curtis Thaxter · Lincolnville	$4,075	2
Greg Boulos real estate professional, self · Cape Elizabeth	$4,075	2
Paula Marcus Platz retired, BCBS · Auburn	$4,000	3
Richard Curran financial investment, Spinnaker Trust · Falmouth	$3,500	2
Richard Silkman Other, NA · Scarborough	$3,175	3