Businessman Owen McCarthy, 37, threw his hat into the widening ring for Maine governor on Wednesday, announcing the launch of his bid for the Republican nomination through a press release and campaign advertisement.
“When I look around Maine today, it’s become totally unaffordable for working class people – my people,” McCarthy says in his introductory ad. “These people wake up each morning, put in an honest day’s work, but have to fight just to make ends meet. It doesn’t have to be this way.”
The Patten native is the first in his family to attend college and graduated from the University of Maine before earning his MBA from the Harvard Business School. The company he co-founded, MedRhythyms, provides neuropathic support through technology.
While he’s the fifth candidate to formally announce his candidacy for the GOP nod, McCarthy is the first to brand himself as an outside to politics. The 2026 gubernatorial race is his first gambit in electoral politics.
If elected, McCarthy pledges to stimulate Maine’s economy, balance the state budget, “legalize” housing by peeling back the red tape, and fix the state’s failing schools by putting greater emphasis on the skills the rising generation needs for the jobs of tomorrow. The son of a logger and a lunch-lady, McCarthy proudly presents his humble origins as proof of what grit and determination can produce.
Earlier this year, McCarthy launched an exploratory campaign and has taken part in multi-candidate forums. He is married, lives in Gorham, and has two young children.
