The latest entry into the crowded Republican field of candidates for governor of Maine is Garrett Mason.
Mason served as Maine Senate Majority Leader during the administration of Governor Paul LePage, and he says the state budget has exploded under Democratic control since then.
“The last budget that I voted on in 2017 was a little under $7 billion,” said Mason. “We’re looking at a budget of over 12 now. We’ve almost doubled the size of the state budget over the course of the (Janet) Mills administration. That’s unacceptable.”
Mason says he’s the only Republican with the experience and qualifications to offer a workable budget as governor.
He was a guest Thursday on the WGAN Morning News, where he ran down his list of priorities:
- Prepare and submit a state budget in January as the first official act, prioritizing cuts to reduce budget bloat and start negotiations with the legislature
- Cut or restructure Department of Health and Human Services programs and review no-bid contracts and NGO-funded programs to eliminate waste driving budget growth
- Revoke or repeal the solar and wind executive orders signed by the current administration to reduce energy subsidies and relieve rate pressure
- Develop and implement a short-, medium-, and long-term energy plan that includes stopping excessive grid overbuild for intermittent renewables, pursuing hydro imports, and planning for future nuclear generation
- Campaign to elect a Republican legislature alongside the gubernatorial campaign so the legislature will elect a qualified, competent State Auditor and empower that office to audit and address waste, fraud, and abuse
- Create a separate gubernatorial office tasked with advising and training local school boards on their authority and implementing policies (including proper Title IX application and protections for girls’ sports and facilities)
The crowded field of Republican candidate to be Maine governor includes Bobby Charles, who is leading in recent polls, and Jonathan Bush, a cousin of former President George W. Bush, who is the first Republican to raise $1 million.
