Maine doesn’t need Jonathan Bush’s interference in local races | Steve Collins

Maine Republican Jonathan Bush Launches “Maine for Keeps” to Target City Elections

Lewiston, ME – Republican gubernatorial candidate Jonathan Bush has announced a new campaign effort aimed at boosting Republican representation in Maine’s larger cities. The initiative, dubbed Maine for Keeps, will focus on municipal elections in Lewiston, Bangor and Waterville and will be funded in part by a $50,000 contribution from Bush himself.

Bush, who finished third in the June 19 Republican gubernatorial primary, said on a local radio station that the money will be used to support Republican candidates he believes are “fighting where we’ve got Republicans and unenrolled folks.” He added that the goal is to “make it easy for the candidates that come from the land of sanity to win and to take back those city councils.”

The new effort comes after the Maine Republican Party’s earlier intervention in local elections, notably the 2015 and 2017 mayoral races in Lewiston where party officials publicly opposed Democrat Ben Chin’s candidacy. Those actions were part of a broader strategy to influence municipal outcomes that many have described as overtly partisan.

While Maine’s city elections are officially nonpartisan, the Maine for Keeps strategy could further highlight partisan lines. In Lewiston’s upcoming mayoral contest, for example, the ballot lists five candidates with their home addresses but does not indicate party affiliation—something some voters and observers note as a potential barrier to informed voting.

“City elections have historically been nonpartisan, but the lack of party labels can leave voters in the dark,” said a local political analyst. “If a major political organization starts funding candidates explicitly, it could shift the perception of those races.”

Bush’s comments came on a segment of WVOM radio earlier this week, where he reiterated his commitment to using personal funds for the initiative. He said he would direct those resources toward races where he believes Republicans have a chance, specifically citing Lewiston, Bangor and Waterville. The $50,000 will be used to support local campaigns, though the exact allocation of the funds—whether for advertising, staffing or other campaign needs—has not been detailed.

Maine’s municipal elections have a long history of being nonpartisan, with candidates appearing on ballots without party labels. The state’s election laws do not require party affiliations to be listed, and city officials typically run on local issues rather than national party platforms. Critics of the Maine for Keeps approach argue that injecting partisan funding could erode that tradition.

Supporters of Bush’s initiative point to the Republican Party’s desire to increase its influence in city governments, noting that Republican candidates have traditionally struggled in Maine’s municipal politics. The Maine for Keeps plan, they say, could give the party a structured approach to building a slate of candidates in key urban centers.

The initiative also comes at a time when the Republican Party’s national alignment has been in flux. While Bush’s own campaign did not secure the gubernatorial nomination, the new focus on municipal elections suggests a shift toward local-level organization.

As the initiative moves forward, the Maine Republican Party has not yet released a formal campaign strategy or identified which specific candidates will receive support in Lewiston, Bangor or Waterville. Local GOP leaders have hinted that the party will be looking for candidates who align with their policy priorities, though no official endorsements have been announced.

Maine voters will be watching closely as the Maine for Keeps effort begins to take shape. Whether the initiative will alter the partisan dynamics of city elections remains to be seen, but the move underscores an increasing interest among state parties in shaping local governance through targeted funding and strategic support.