sister cited his opposition to abortion

Drawing on her own experience of being sexually abused as a child, Republican gubernatorial nominee Bobby Charles’ sister, Anita Charles, criticized his record on abortion at a Wednesday press conference in Portland. She also publicly opposed his education policy, divisive rhetoric and alignment with President Donald Trump, listing all of them as reasons she supports his opponent, Democrat Hannah Pingree. 

At the press conference, the educator from Lewiston said her brother’s campaign has been built on “denigrating others and targeting Mainers with mean-spirited rhetoric that aims to incite fear and hatred towards vulnerable groups.”

An hour later at his own press conference a block away, Charles expressed sorrow at his sister’s abuse, detailing how it impacted the family. He disagreed that either his remarks or his abortion and education policies were harmful, but softened some stances, such as conceding that abortions should be permissible in cases of rape.

The family conflict is playing out two months before the election, earning Pingree an unexpected supporter as she leads in the polls and fundraising. 

Anita Charles’ criticisms of her brother were first made public through an op-ed in the Portland Press Herald, where she cited many of the same issues. 

“Bobby and I have never agreed politically, but we have tried to maintain civil discourse,” she said at the press conference. “But now Bobby has placed divisive and often false rhetoric at the center of his campaign, and I can no longer remain silent.”

She also detailed experiencing sexual assault, saying her experience did not make her brother more sympathetic toward supporting women’s bodily autonomy. 

“Bobby has known about this for about 50 years, yet Bobby has never stood up for the right of a woman or a girl to her own body,” she said, pointing to the Republican candidate’s record of opposing abortion.

“His stance against abortion rights, even in the case of rape, despite his knowledge of what I, his younger sister, experienced, would have gone against my health and well-being in ways that are truly morally reprehensible,” she added.

Charles, joined by his daughter Sophia, said he was still negatively impacted by what happened to his sister, but that it was “her story to tell.” He said her experience had made him focus on ensuring that perpetrators of sexual assault were adequately punished.

He also acknowledged that their political disagreements and the timing of the upcoming elections may have been the motivation behind her coming forward with her story.

“We happen to be in the middle of a gubernatorial race, and she’s a big supporter, I guess, of Janet Mills’ policies. I’m not a big supporter of Janet Mills’ policies,” the Republican nominee said. “Maybe there was some value she thought in bringing this stuff to the foreground. It’s painful for all of us, but … now we’re discussing an issue of enormous importance to far more Mainers than people know.”

Charles also denied his sister’s claim that he was entirely anti-choice, saying while he does not support abortion, he would be in favor of an exception for rape.

“I don’t believe in late term abortion, I don’t think the public should be paying for abortions,” he said. “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.”

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Anita Charles also pointed to her brother’s association with former U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert — who was convicted for financial offenses related to the sexual abuse of teenage boys — as further proof of him not speaking out against sexual assault perpetrators. 

Charles did not deny being associated with Hastert, but clarified that it was well before any allegations of child sexual assault against him came to light.

“I think it’s monstrous, and I think people against whom these charges are proven need to go to prison and stay there forever,” he said. “And frankly, that’s what I wished had happened to the individual who hurt my sister.”

Education record

Anita Charles, a lifelong educator, also condemned her brother’s stance on education, saying his approach undermines the hard work educators put in and the progress Maine schools have been making. She claimed the Republican candidate has not set foot in a public school since he was 18, contrasting that with her lifelong experience in the field.

“I am a heart surgeon for education, and Bobby wants to come in and play the kids’ version of Operation with a mini pair of tweezers,” she said. “It’s insulting and it’s harmful to our families, children, and youth, and to our teachers and other school personnel.”

Bobby Charles previously told Maine Morning Star that his biggest educational priorities are supporting teachers and making sure Maine can improve academic outcomes, but he has also publicly blamed current challenges schools are facing on “woke indoctrination” in classrooms, and has proposed that schools end equity-based initiatives and return to traditional learning models.

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“He has no understanding of what standards exist in our schools, or what professional development and licensure teachers have, or what administrators do,” Anita Charles said. “His budget and his education plan would decimate our public schools.”

Charles denied his sister’s statements, saying he had initially sought her input on education policy when he first announced his run. But he also emphasized the importance of national assessments that have shown Maine test scores reached an all-time low in 2024, for which he blamed the Mills administration.

“I understand the need for emotional learning,” he said. “But it’s not that simple. I am a true believer in getting education back on track.”

Past rhetoric

Bobby Charles first rose to prominence amid a crowded field in the Republican gubernatorial primaries for his attacks against Democratic Rep. Deqa Dhalac from South Portland, calling her a “radical Somalia-first” state representative. He has also supported widespread immigration enforcement in Maine, which has largely targeted people without criminal records and said immigrants are to blame for a large share of Medicaid fraud in the state.

He has also spoken against Maine’s inclusive transgender student policy, advocating for the state to comply with the federal government’s anti-trans stance and require students to use bathrooms and play on sports teams aligned with their sex assigned at birth as opposed to gender identity. 

Anita Charles denounced his statements, saying, “Sadly, Bobby campaigns against his own extended family, with members who represent diversity across race, gender orientation, and gender expression, religion, country of origin, and more. 

“These family members feel unsafe through the rhetoric that Bobby promotes,” she added.

“I love my sister, but that’s not what’s happening,” he responded. “I would never campaign against any extended family member on any of those bases.” 

“If someone’s defined themselves as transgender, or what the medical profession had previously called, I think, gender dysphoria, they have my ultimate compassion,” he added. “The same is true of country of origin.”