AUBURN, Maine — Republican gubernatorial candidate Jonathan Bush delivered a wide-ranging and deeply personal speech Saturday night at the Androscoggin County Republican Committee’s annual Lincoln Dinner, presenting himself as a father, veteran, entrepreneur, and what he described as a “fanatic Maine optimist” determined to reverse what he says is the state’s economic decline.
Speaking to a room filled with Republican activists and party leaders, Bush framed his campaign as an effort to spark what he called a long-overdue renaissance in Maine. He told attendees that the state’s future depends on reversing policies coming out of Augusta that he believes have driven up costs, slowed economic growth, and made it harder for families and businesses to succeed.
Bush began his remarks by introducing himself not just as a candidate, but as a father and longtime business builder.
“I am a father of seven great Americans,” Bush told the audience. “I’m a veteran. I’m an entrepreneur who built a business and had up to 1,000 people working at it. As a result, I’m a fanatic Maine optimist.”
Bush said his children, like many young Mainers, want to pursue the American dream while staying close to home. But he warned that many families feel uncertain about whether the state is moving in the right direction.
The candidate repeatedly returned to the idea that Maine has enormous potential but has been held back by policy choices made in Augusta.
Bush, who lives in Cape Elizabeth, built his career in the healthcare technology sector. He co-founded the medical technology company athenahealth in 1997, helping grow it into a major national company that provides cloud-based billing, medical records, and administrative services to healthcare providers.
Bush later moved athenahealth operations to Belfast, where the company established a major presence in Midcoast Maine and employed roughly 1,000 workers at its peak. The move, Bush has said, demonstrated that high-growth technology companies can succeed in rural Maine with the right environment.
After leaving athenahealth in 2018, Bush founded Zus Health, a Boston-based healthcare data platform designed to improve how medical information is shared among providers and healthcare systems.
Bush has also launched Maine for Keeps, an initiative focused on policy discussions around Maine’s long-term economic challenges and opportunities.
During the Lincoln Dinner speech, Bush emphasized that his experience creating jobs and building companies sets him apart from other candidates.
“There’s two things about me that are unique,” Bush said. “I’m the only guy running in either party who has created 1,000 jobs in Maine. And it wasn’t easy.”
Bush argued that the same playbook used to build those jobs can be applied to growing Maine’s economy statewide.
Much of Bush’s speech focused on what he sees as policy failures in Augusta. He specifically criticized Gov. Janet Mills and the current administration, saying Maine has climbed to the top of national rankings for high costs while lagging behind in areas like economic growth.
Bush pointed to energy costs, healthcare expenses, and the overall tax burden as major barriers facing Maine families and businesses.
“We have among the highest energy costs, among the highest healthcare costs, and an increasing tax burden,” Bush said. “We don’t grow.”
Bush also argued that economic growth outside of Portland has been largely stagnant for decades, warning that Maine cannot rely on one urban center to drive the state’s future prosperity.
To reverse that trend, Bush proposed major tax reductions and a reexamination of state spending. He told attendees that Maine should begin by cutting roughly $1 billion in taxes.
“The first thing we do is cut our taxes,” Bush said, arguing that lowering taxes would make Maine more competitive with other states.
Bush also warned that rapid growth in the state budget has created opportunities for waste and fraud, saying that when fraud appears in government programs it often points to larger systemic problems.
“When you see fraud at the surface, you better check the whole pile,” Bush said.
Education was another major theme of Bush’s remarks. He argued that Maine’s education system has lost focus on core academic outcomes, pointing to reading proficiency among younger students.
“Do you know what percent of Maine kids can read at the fourth-grade level in fourth grade?” Bush asked the audience. “Seventy-six percent. We are now number 42.”
Bush said the state’s education system must refocus on fundamental learning goals and accountability if Maine hopes to retain families and build a strong workforce.
In addition to his business background, Bush shared several personal stories during the speech, including his time working as an EMT while attending college in New Orleans.
Bush said driving an ambulance overnight exposed him to difficult situations and helped shape his view of service and leadership.
Responding to emergencies in the middle of the night, Bush said, showed him the impact that small groups of dedicated people can have when they step forward during moments of crisis.
He also referenced his military service during the era of Operation Desert Storm, saying he enlisted as an Army medic because he felt called to serve when the country needed it.
Throughout the speech, Bush frequently returned to themes of resilience, community, and what he described as Maine’s unique culture of neighbors helping neighbors.
“There’s a neighbor energy here,” Bush said. “Your tree falls down and someone’s already in your yard cutting it up before you even ask.”
Bush said that spirit of community is one of the reasons he believes Maine can experience a revival if leaders focus on economic opportunity and responsible government.
He closed his remarks by returning to the importance of family and the future of Maine’s next generation.
For Bush, he said, the ultimate goal of his campaign is making sure Maine remains a place where children and grandchildren can build their lives.
“What’s most important to me is that the kids are there,” Bush said.
More information about Bush and his campaign can be found on his website:
https://jonathanbush.org
Bush’s appearance at the Lincoln Dinner comes as Maine Republicans begin ramping up activity ahead of the 2026 election cycle, with candidates traveling across the state to meet voters and outline their visions for Maine’s future.
