(The Center Square) — Former Republican Senate Majority Leader Garrett Mason has jumped into the race for Maine governor, joining a crowded field of candidates vying to replace outgoing Democratic Gov. Janet Mills.
Mason, a lawyer and Androscoggin County commissioner, announced his candidacy in a video posted on social media that stressed his legislative and lobbying experience and support for President Donald Trump’s conservative agenda.
He said Maine is facing myriad challenges, including rising costs, public safety concerns, workforce shortages, and a housing crunch that has put homeownership out of reach for many working families.
“Maine doesn’t need a political hobbyist,” Mason, 40, said in his campaign launch video. “Maine needs a leader who understands government, knows how to act on day one, and has the experience to execute.”
He accused other Republicans in the governor’s race of impersonating Trump by pledging to crack down on crime and cut taxes in an attempt to sway conservative votes.
“My value is knowing exactly how to work with Donald Trump, not to pretend to be him,” Mason said in the video. “We’ve seen a lot about that on the campaign trail. It’s ineffective, it’s unserious, and quite frankly, it looks ridiculous.”
Mason served as the Senate’s GOP leader from 2014 to 2018, when Republicans lost control of the chamber. In 2018, Mason ran to succeed two-term Republican Gov. Paul LePage but lost the GOP primary to Shawn Moody. Mills won the general election. He has also worked as a lobbyist at the Statehouse in Augusta.
“The reason I’m running is very simple,” Mason said. “It’s not because I have better ideas. It’s because I know how to actually turn those ideas into results.”
He joins a widening field of gubernatorial hopefuls with 21 others candidates vying for the open seat, including nine Republicans.
On the Democratic side, the hopefuls include Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, former Senate President Troy Jackson, Hannah Pingree, a former speaker of the state House of Representatives and daughter of a U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree, and Angus King III, son of the state’s independent U.S. senator.
The GOP candidates include lawyer Robert “Bobby” Charles. real estate broker David Jones and health tech entrepreneur Jonathan Bush, the nephew of former Republican President George H.W. Bush.
Mills, who can’t run for the seat again due to term limits, is seeking the Democratic party’s nod to challenge incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins in November’s election.
