About the Candidate
Born in Skowhegan, lives in Portland with his wife, two children and Snowy the dog. They like to spend time enjoying Maine’s woods, waters and outdoors.
Education
Dartmouth College, Harvard Business School
Previous campaigns and elected office(s) held
None.
Why are you running?
I’m running because life has become too hard for too many, and our politics often feels too broken to help make a difference. Division has overwhelmed direction, leaving Mainers behind and wondering why it’s so hard to get anything done. At the same time, life has become too expensive for too many here — housing, energy, healthcare — and wages simply haven’t kept up. I know we can do better.
Top three priorities
As Governor I’ll have a relentless focus on helping people breathe a little easier, starting with lowering costs (energy, housing, healthcare), improving schools and raising incomes. I know it can be done if we think differently and leave behind the politics of division to focus on the challenges and hopes we have in common.
If you could change one thing about how Augusta functions, what would it be and why?
I haven’t spent my life in Augusta debating policy or drafting reports, I’ve spent it shaping the real world, building things that solve problems and help people, taking on the real challenges our state faces today. And I’ve done it all by bringing people together, innovating, knowing how to get things done and being accountable for the dollars and results. That’s not the ordinary path, but this isn’t an ordinary moment, and we need to think differently to get things back on track.
What is one policy area where you disagree with the consensus of most in your party?
We need to get back to being the best when it comes to education, bringing all hands on deck to get there: teachers, parents, communities and businesses all playing a role, with clear measurement and accountability, supporting local control with statewide inspiration. Every child should be able to read by the end of third grade, and be prepared for the jobs of today and tomorrow. We have to be much more innovative and focused on outcomes to ensure that we have the best trained workforce.
What is one issue on which you’d be willing to compromise with the other party’s leaders in Augusta?
We can disagree, but I am looking forward to working on finding common ground, even if it’s just on 10%. I want to work with Republicans on lowering costs and improving our economy, including how we can make government more responsive and effective. I believe it is there, on those key patches of common ground, that we will find the strongest ties that bind us together as a people, and make a difference for Maine.