"Hey Maynards, this was a good question, the short answer is yes, he'll definitely stay in the race for now, but if his numbers don't improve quickly, there just won't be a path for him. In the poll that came out on Tuesday, Rick Bennett pulled just 8% of likely voters. Even among independents, Senator Bennett pulled just 12%. The poll found that Bennett only won 3% of Democrats and 6% of Republicans. It's just one poll, but there's just not really anything in it that suggests that Bennett could overtake Pingree, or Charles for that matter. In fact, I'd say it's much more likely that he could be a spoiler and deliver the race for one of his opponents rather than win it for himself. In 2018, independent Terry Hayes pulled less than 6% in the governor's race. She was a non-factor. In 2014, independent Elliott Cutler's polling average was around 14%, and he finished with just 8.4% of the vote. Cutler is widely credited with Governor LePage's re-election. And in 2010, the first time that Cutler ran, it was an open race, just like this one. And Cutler actually leapfrogged the Democratic nominee and finished within two points of LePage. And thank goodness he lost, of course. But that's the version of events that Senator Bennett is hoping to replay here. The difference is, Cutler was a Democrat running as an independent in a left-leaning state. Bennett is a lifelong Republican running as an independent in an even lefter-leaning state in a year that was already going to be a wave for Democrats. And Hannah Pingree is already at 50%. Look, this is just one poll. But if his numbers don't improve quickly, it's hard to see why donors would back him. Democrats in almost half of independents are currently happy with Pingree, which kind of forces Bennett to go back to the right and to try to drain Charles' support, at which point he'd lose any support he'd build up on the left. This poll says that moderate and independent main voters just aren't thirsty for a third option."