Republican Jonathan Bush is officially running for governor of Maine after signaling last week he’d be making a major announcement.
Bush is the cousin of former President George W. Bush, who runs a healthcare industry business in Belfast.
He’s billing himself as a job creator and is vowing to clean up Portland from what he calls “lawlessness.”
“I’m not buying anymore needles for people to come hide here from the laws of more rational states and shoot up,” said Bush. “Portland is suffocating all of us with their petty unjust childishness masquerading as social justice.”
Bush joins more than a dozen candidates already vying to replace Democratic Governor Janet Mills in next year’s election. Mills is term limited.
His other priorities include an immediate tax cut and reducing energy costs by doubling the availability of natural gas.
Bush is the first high-profile Republican to enter the governor’s race, which currently includes several bigger name Democrats and a well-known state senator who is running as an Independent.
The Republicans are Ken Capron, Steven Shepphard and Robert Wessels.
The Democrats in the race include Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, Senator Angus King’s son Angus King III, Jason Cherry, Kenneth Pinet, former State Senate President Troy Jackson and Congresswoman Chellie Pingree’s daughter and former Maine lawmaker Hannah Pingree.
There are also four independents – State Senator Rick Bennett, Ed Crockett, John Glowa Sr. and Alex Murchison.
