Jonathan Bush, the wealthy tech entrepreneur and cousin of former President George W. Bush who made an unsuccessful bid for the Republican gubernatorial nomination in Maine this year, is now setting his sights on local elections — including in Bangor.
Bush plans to invest $100,000 in the Bangor, Lewiston and Waterville council elections this year with his nonprofit, Maine for Keeps, and has already dedicated $50,000 to the effort himself, he said. He’s not sure how the money will be split between the three cities.
The Cape Elizabeth politician raised more than $2.5 million for his earlier gubernatorial campaign, much of it coming from his own personal funds.
“I love Maine. I want to be useful, and obviously my fellow Republicans didn’t think I’d be perfectly useful as a candidate. So what else can I do to be helpful?” Bush said. “And it seems like the area that’s getting the least attention but has the most, in my view, sort of troubling direction, are the city councils.”
The influx of cash could greatly influence city council elections, which don’t see much serious fundraising or outside attention. It’s likely unprecedented for Bangor, where council candidates typically raise between a few hundred and a couple thousand dollars for lawn signs and campaign literature but where big outside money rarely comes into play.
Bush said he chose the three cities because although he lives in the Portland area, “I don’t see a path for any of the reasonable councilors to win in Portland,” whereas in Bangor, Lewiston and Waterville, “it’s close enough that maybe a little bit of extra awareness and campaigning might tip towards more reasonable, independent-minded, kind of what I would call ‘Chamber of Commerce’ candidates.”
Bush pointed to issues like stalled development, business flight, property tax crises and debates over harm reduction programs as reasons why the cities needed new leadership.
“These are races that have a vastly more immediate and pressing impact on Mainers’ quality of life,” he said, adding that the investments will focus on “getting awareness up about the importance of a city council election [and] the specifics of the situation in those cities.”
When asked if he sees any downsides to putting so much money into a smaller local election, Bush said, “Obviously, I’m practiced in the art of putting a lot of money in and losing. … But it doesn’t mean you don’t keep trying harder.”
He’s holding an event in downtown Bangor’s West Market Square at 9 a.m. on Monday alongside Jim Deyermond, chair of the Maine Republican Party, and Philip Henry, a Bangor real estate investor who is often vocal at Bangor City Council meetings and is involved with a new political action committee in the city.
Henry, for his part, said he thinks Bush’s effort will make the biggest difference in terms of awareness around the race.
“I think that you need to have some sort of professional marketing firm that has that ability to understand where people see information, how they get information, and I think that that’s probably how it will best be used,” he said of the money.
He referenced light turnout in local elections and what he sees as “less than qualified people” on the council, saying he hopes to see larger turnout and more informed voters this year.
“I think most people that have spent their lives in Bangor realize that something has to happen,” Henry said, acknowledging that some residents may be skeptical of influence from someone who doesn’t live in Bangor.
“It’s time for change, and I’m glad that some people are bringing more visibility to this,” he added.
Henry is one of many residents feeling a growing frustration with the Bangor City Council over its inability to address persistent challenges like the city’s homelessness crisis. Meetings have been packed in recent months, and a record 12 candidates are running for three open seats.
Henry’s political action committee, Concerned Citizens of Bangor, endorsed candidates Anthony Cote, Terry Dinkins and Joseph Pratt on social media Thursday evening. In less than two weeks since registering, the PAC already raised more than $20,000, according to reports obtained from the city clerk’s office.
Lewiston voters will elect a mayor and councilors in three of the city’s seven wards this year. Waterville is electing a mayor.
Maine for Keeps can’t endorse candidates, per the organization’s bylaws, Bush said. He plans to personally endorse candidates in the three cities in the coming weeks.
The entrepreneur and multimillionaire is known for co-founding Athenahealth in the 1990s and has had a growing presence in Maine politics since moving to Cape Elizabeth in 2021.
Bush has been critical of President Donald Trump and billed himself as a “disruptor” in the governor’s race, running on promises to cut taxes and make the state more business-friendly. He was in attendance at a fundraiser for Republican Sen. Susan Collins at Moody’s in Gorham in late September.
Beyond the financial investment, Bush is bringing some high-powered friends into the fray.
He’s recruited Vincent Harris to organize the local election efforts, he said. Harris, an internet-savvy conservative strategist, boasts a resume including work for Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party and a pro-Trump SuperPAC in 2024.
Harris is also a senior strategist for Bobby Charles, the Republican nominee for governor who beat out Bush and several other candidates in the primary.