Democratic candidate for Maine governor Hannah Pingree speaks during an endorsement announcement Thursday at the Maine Education Association headquarters in Augusta. (Joe Phelan/Staff Photographer)AUGUSTA — The Maine teachers union endorsed Hannah Pingree in the race for governor Thursday, giving the Democratic candidate an opportunity to lay out some of her top priorities for schools. During a news conference outside Maine Education Association headquarters, Pingree said that, if elected, she would continue to have the state fund 55% of the cost of education. AdvertisementPingree’s endorsement from the 23,000-member teachers union did not come as a surprise. Hannah Pingree, the Democratic candidate for Maine governor, speaks during an endorsement announcement at the Maine Education Association headquarters in Augusta on Thursday.