HALLOWELL, Maine — Republican leaders, candidates, activists, and volunteers gathered Saturday morning at the Maine GOP’s Unity Breakfast at Maple Hill Farm Inn & Conference Center, delivering a consistent message to supporters: the primary election is over, and the focus must now shift toward winning in November.
The event brought together Republican candidates, party officials, legislative leaders, grassroots activists, and volunteers from across Maine less than two weeks after the Republican gubernatorial primary. While speakers addressed a variety of issues, from ranked-choice voting to campaign strategy, nearly every speaker returned to a common theme — party unity.
Maine GOP Chairman Jim Deyermond opened the event by celebrating Republican successes while sharply criticizing Maine’s ranked-choice voting system, which continues to delay final election results nearly two weeks after voters cast their ballots.
Calling the process an “abomination,” Deyermond said he has fielded questions from friends, family members, and media outlets across the country trying to understand why Maine still lacks final election results.
“The architect behind the move was interviewing me on a radio show in New York City,” Deyermond said. “I had 30 seconds to explain ranked-choice voting, and when I finished, they said, ‘That’s crazy.'”
Deyermond argued that regardless of how hard election officials try to administer the system, the delays and confusion have become a national embarrassment.
“No matter how hard the Secretary of State’s office tried and tried and tried, you still can’t make it look good,” he said.
Despite his criticism of ranked-choice voting, Deyermond devoted much of his speech to urging Republicans to put aside lingering frustrations from the primary campaign.
“You can’t take it personally. You’ve got to let it go,” Deyermond told the crowd. “We need to be unified going into the election rather than fighting each other.”
He acknowledged that political campaigns often create disagreements and hurt feelings but said Republicans cannot afford internal divisions heading into November.
“We are Republicans. We all agree pretty much on the really big things. It’s the little things that sometimes draw us apart,” he said.
Deyermond warned that Republicans historically have a tendency to fight among themselves and argued that continuing those battles would only benefit Democrats.
“We need to stop the horse crap,” he said. “We need to stop fighting amongst ourselves.”
Stewart: “We Are Officially Past the Excuses Stage”
Senate Republican Leader Trey Stewart reinforced the unity message while challenging candidates and activists to increase their efforts over the next five months.
“We are now officially past the excuses stage,” Stewart told attendees.
Stewart said Republican legislative leadership is working to build a coordinated statewide operation supporting candidates at every level of the ballot, from local legislative races to statewide campaigns.
“There are no excuses,” Stewart said, encouraging activists to hold candidates accountable for voter outreach and door-knocking efforts.
“If you see a legislative candidate, ask them how many doors they knocked today,” Stewart said.
Stewart also rejected claims that Republican gubernatorial nominee Bobby Charles could hurt Republican legislative candidates.
“I have heard it said that we will lose seats in the Legislature if Bobby is our candidate. That is a lie,” Stewart said. “The only way that comes true is if we don’t rally behind our candidate and work together.”
The Senate Republican leader also criticized former Republican Senator Rick Bennett, arguing that Republicans should not support candidates who align themselves with Democrats.
“If you want a Democrat in the Blaine House, go for Rick Bennett,” Stewart said. “There is functionally, at this point, no difference.”
Russell Calls Campaigning a Team Sport
Republican First Congressional District candidate Ronald Russell focused his remarks on cooperation and teamwork.
“Campaigning is a team sport,” Russell said.
Drawing on his military experience, Russell compared political campaigns to military operations where differences are discussed openly but participants ultimately unite behind a common objective.
Russell urged candidates to actively support one another while campaigning and encouraged volunteers to carry literature for all Republican candidates in their districts.
“If you’ve been knocking doors and you don’t have all of the candidates that are running in your district, shame on you,” Russell said.
Russell also warned about what he described as growing socialist and communist influences within American politics, drawing on his experiences serving in Cold War-era Berlin.
“I saw communism firsthand,” Russell said. “That’s what we’re fighting against.”
LePage Campaign Sees Opportunity
Jason Savage, speaking on behalf of former Governor Paul LePage’s congressional campaign, said Republicans are entering the general election with a strong statewide ticket.
“This race looks a lot like 2014,” Savage said, referring to the year LePage won reelection.
“We have a really, really good conservative nominee for governor. We have Senator Collins on the ballot, and we have Paul LePage running for Congress.”
Savage also praised the candidates who competed in the gubernatorial primary, saying they helped strengthen the eventual nominee and sharpen Republican messaging.
“Our nominee is more awesome than he was because you all made him be that way,” Savage said.
Bobby Charles Calls for Unity and Takes Aim at Democrats
The event concluded with remarks from Republican gubernatorial nominee Bobby Charles, who spent much of his speech thanking his former opponents and emphasizing the importance of service, leadership, and unity.
Charles praised each of the candidates who competed in the Republican primary, including Ben Midgley, Jonathan Bush, Garrett Mason, Owen McCarthy, Robert Wessels, David Jones, and Jim Libby.
“This was steel on steel,” Charles said. “People in this fight are incredibly qualified.”
Charles said every candidate who entered the race did so because they recognized that Maine faces serious challenges and wanted to help address them.
“Every single one of the people in this race for governor would be a profoundly better governor than Janet Mills,” Charles said.
He credited Midgley for his leadership and temperament, praised Bush for bringing energy and a willingness to challenge Augusta’s political establishment, and described Mason as a proven conservative leader. Charles also highlighted McCarthy’s business experience, Wessels’ persistence, Jones’ commitment to conservative causes, and Libby’s decades of service to education and Maine communities.
“It takes something to step up,” Charles said. “Every one of these men stepped up, and they did not have to. That is the essence of service.”
Charles then turned his attention to Democratic gubernatorial candidate Hannah Pingree, arguing that Republicans have a clear contrast to present voters this fall.
“Honestly, we pulled the best possible opponent,” Charles said.
He described Pingree as “a self-serving, out-of-touch, personally privileged, power-concentrating, uncaring, and unaccountable person in public service.”
Charles accused Pingree of supporting Gov. Janet Mills’ pandemic-era policies and argued that Maine businesses, workers, and families continue to suffer from decisions made during that period.
“She helped abuse all of our civil rights,” Charles said. “She was the rubber stamp for the governor through all of the disastrous times of COVID.”
Pointing to business closures and economic challenges across the state, Charles argued that Pingree represents a continuation of policies that many Maine voters want to leave behind.
“She is the living embodiment of what we would want to run against because the contrast is spectacular,” Charles said.
Throughout his speech, Charles repeatedly returned to themes of service, responsibility, and leadership. He reflected on mentors from his youth, military veterans who influenced his life, and lessons learned while working in the Reagan administration.
Referencing former President Ronald Reagan’s vision of the Republican Party, Charles said good government requires fiscal responsibility, public safety, and a strong moral foundation.
“We are the link between good governance, accountable leadership, and those kids ahead who are depending upon us,” Charles said.
Calling himself “the luckiest man in the world” to receive the Republican nomination, Charles pledged to continue fighting for what he described as a better future for Maine.
“My promise to you is that I will keep carrying this ball forward until we fix this state for good,” Charles said.
As attendees transitioned into the Maine GOP State Committee meeting following the breakfast, the message from party leaders remained consistent: the primary season may be over, but Republicans believe the real campaign begins now.
From criticism of ranked-choice voting to calls for grassroots organizing and sharp contrasts with Democratic opponents, speakers repeatedly stressed that success in November will depend on whether Republicans can remain united and focused on the months ahead.
