Gubernatorial candidates David Jones and Ben Midgley declared an “alliance” in the Republican primary at a Thursday night debate — the second such partnership to emerge, despite some party members’ criticism of ranked-choice voting.

Jones announced the move in his opening statement during a debate hosted by WGME and the Bangor Daily News on Thursday night. The pair both said that those who vote for one of them as their primary choice on Maine’s ranked-choice ballot should mark the other as their second choice.

Midgley said Mainers “need something or someone to believe in that is 100% committed to getting back to the values that Maine has.” He proposed himself.

Jones said he has watched Maine spiral downward for decades, pointing to the rising costs of energy and housing. He emphasized his history as a business founder who can “see the forest through the trees.”

“We’re going to do everything we can to make Maine great again,” Jones said.

Thursday’s debate featured five candidates from the crowded, seven-person primary field. Robert Wessels, a retail manager from the town of Paris, did not qualify for the event.

Bobby Charles, arguably the race’s front-runner, skipped the debate — having done the same at another earlier in the week. Instead, he and Wessels hosted a livestreamed conversation about faith, marking the National Day of Prayer.

Earlier in the day, Jonathan Bush said he would make Wessels his “CD2 Grassroots Chair.” In an accompanying release, Wessels was quoted saying that he is not dropping out of the race, but that he encourages his supporters to rank Bush second.

In a Thursday night post a few minutes ahead of the debate, Charles accused his opponents who have forged alliances of attempting to manipulate the June 9 primary. He did not name anyone specifically. Then, after the debate, Charles accused his opponents of “backroom coordination.”

““If these candidates are willing to manipulate and game ranked-choice voting to win a Republican primary, why would anyone believe they would ever truly fight to repeal it as Governor?” Charles said in a statement.

Charles has decried ranked-choice voting as a scheme pushed by Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, a Democrat who is also running for governor in her own primary. He has repeatedly asked his supporters to vote for him “straight across” the ballot in posts on social media.

At the debate Thursday, all five candidates said years of Democratic leadership had hurt Maine. They vowed to remove “woke” policies from the state’s schools and to prioritize making healthcare affordable.

They also appeared to agree that Charles was the wrong person for the job.

A few minutes into the debate, co-moderator Michael Shepherd asked who would vote for Charles if he were the nominee. None of the five raised their hands.

“I’m running to be the nominee,” Mason and Bush both said.

Midgley said that if he does not get the nomination, he “will support who I feel is best.” Owen McCarthy, a medical technology entrepreneur from Gorham, said he has blinders on until June 9.

“Any one of these guys would be fine with me” Jones said, gesturing to the four others on the stage.