AUGUSTA, Maine – The Republican race for governor is heating up as the June 9 primary approaches, with Jonathan Bush, Ben Midgley and Garrett Mason trading fire with Bobby Charles over debates, records and who should face voters directly.
Bush is challenging Charles to a one-on-one debate, arguing that Maine voters deserve to hear directly from both candidates before they cast ballots.
Charles, described by the Bush campaign as the front-runner, has not agreed to the proposed one-on-one matchup and has instead been spending time with supporters.
“This ain’t rocket science… will Bobby Charles say if he’s going to debate me, or not? If not, why?” Bush told The Maine Wire. “Seems to me that the unanswered questions about Bobby are building up fast, so voters would like to hear from him. I agree, I think Maine needs an outsider CEO that has created more than 900 jobs in Maine, not a person who has spent the last quarter century as a lobbyist insider. But Mainers need to hear from us both in multiple TV debates to make an informed decision. We need to expand the discussion beyond the lobbyists and party insiders to regular working folks who will watch the TV debates.”
Charles responded by accusing Bush of being aligned with the “Never Trump” movement and attacking the records of his Republican opponents.
“Never Trumper Jonathan Bush donated money to lie, attack and undermine President Trump, and now, after spending millions from a company that profited off abortion providers, he’s resorting to false attacks against me on television,” Charles told The Maine Wire.
“I look forward next Wednesday to squaring off and talking about our records. My record is as a conservative crime-fighter, federal investigator, and supporter of President Trump. Ben Midgley voted for woke Democrats and ran marketing that included pro-trans, DEI, and BLM material. Garrett Mason sided with Somali-first politicians against increased public safety funding, and Jonathan Bush was the cheerleader for the Never Trump movement,” Charles said.
“Mainers are suffering under Janet Mills high taxes. We need a conservative who is ready to investigate the fraud and hold people accountable,” he added.
“Maine Republicans deserve the truth, not desperate lies from establishment insiders trying to buy this election in order to continue the cycle of corruption.”
The Midgley campaign fired back, accusing Charles of attacking Midgley before he had even entered the race.
“D.C. lobbyist Robert Charles launched false attacks on Ben Midgley before he even entered this race, and has continued to do so,” the Midgley campaign said. “Ben is a conservative businessman who knows how to fix the corruption and fraud plaguing Augusta, created by the political class. Ben is focused on continuing to bring his message to voters, rather than engaging in fake political attacks. That may be how Robert did things during his time in D.C., but he will learn that it’s not how we do things in Maine.”
Mason, responding to The Maine Wire, framed the debate issue as a basic test for candidates seeking public office.
“Americans running for political office have been debating since 1858; and for good reason. Voters deserve answers to hard questions. Debating in a public forum is the very lowest bar of running for political office,” Mason said.
“Perhaps those who can’t bring themselves to clear that bar should reconsider if they have the stomach for the job they are seeking. As the only person in this race who has actually done the hard work of governing, I can tell you it only gets harder from here,” Mason added.
The escalating exchange shows a Republican primary entering a sharper phase, with candidates pressing one another over debates, credibility and who is best prepared to take on Augusta.
