Christie-Lee Ryan is the former executive director of the Maine Republican Party and was Maine State Trump for President director in 2016.

As a longtime Maine Republican who has spent decades working to build our party’s strength from the local level to statewide office, I believe deeply in the power of conservative principles to improve lives in our state.

In the past, I worked hard to ensure our Republican ticket was cohesive, disciplined and positioned to win statewide. I cannot stand by and watch as deeply flawed candidates threaten to fracture that unity and severely damage our chances in 2026.

Maine is at a turning point. Without credible leadership, practical solutions and candidates with integrity, we risk losing our state further to an increasingly socialist, government-heavy direction that does not reflect the values of hardworking Mainers.

Principles without electability are futile. That is why I must speak plainly now: Maine Republicans cannot afford to nominate Jonathan Bush for governor in 2026.

His history of domestic violence and related personal misconduct would not only doom his own campaign but drag down the entire Republican ticket — from U.S. Sen. Susan Collins to candidates for the Legislature.

The facts are not in dispute. In 2018, court documents from a 2006 custody battle with his first wife, Sarah Seldon, became public. Bush admitted to “numerous physical altercations,” including an incident in which he “repeatedly slamming his closed fist into her sternum,” while she held their baby. Bush took “complete responsibility” for these “regrettable incidents.” The revelations forced his resignation as CEO of Athenahealth. Bush has addressed the matter during his current campaign, framing it as part of “cancel culture,” but the underlying admissions remain on the record.

In a state where domestic violence remains a serious concern — with Maine ranking high in certain measures of intimate partner incidents — these facts matter. Voters, particularly women and independent voters who decide Maine elections, will not overlook them. Polling and focus groups in similar past races show that allegations of this nature depress support not just for the candidate involved, but for the entire party brand.

This is especially dangerous in 2026 because our ticket is interconnected. Sen. Susan Collins is seeking a sixth term in what is shaping up to be one of the most competitive Senate races in the country.

Collins has built a career on bipartisanship and delivering results for Maine. Her approval ratings have historically benefited from crossover appeal in a state that leans Democratic at the presidential level. Yet she faces Graham Platner, the presumptive Democratic nominee, a Marine veteran and so-called oyster farmer whose campaign has already highlighted issues of character, personal conduct and fitness for office.

Platner himself has faced scrutiny over old Reddit posts containing controversial, crude or offensive comments on topics ranging from law enforcement to sexual assault. Democrats will attempt to downplay or contextualize these as youthful indiscretions. But if Republicans nominate Bush — a candidate with documented physical abuse admissions — we hand Platner and national Democrats a devastating contrast.

“Both sides” arguments rarely work when one side’s baggage involves admitted violence against a spouse. Down-ballot Republican candidates for Congress, state Senate and the House would be forced to answer for Bush at every town hall and door knock.

Maine’s electorate is independent and unforgiving on matters of personal character. A Bush nomination risks repeating that on a larger scale. Women voters could swing away in significant numbers. Independent voters — who often break for other Republicans on the ticket — would be reminded of the party’s tolerance for a problematic candidate rather than focusing on taxes, energy costs or government overreach.

The damage would cascade. Legislative candidates in competitive districts, many of whom rely on the coattails of a strong statewide ticket, would struggle to raise money and recruit volunteers. Our efforts to flip the Legislature would suffer. Fundraising statewide would dry up as donors question the wisdom of investing in a doomed top-line race.

We also cannot nominate a candidate who will divide our party after the primary like D.C. insider Bobby Charles. Thankfully, Maine Republicans have stronger, cleaner alternatives in the gubernatorial primary. Candidates with executive experience, business success without the baggage and a clear conservative message unburdened by decades-old admissions of violence or a D.C. carpetbagger who can unify the party and appeal to the broader electorate Maine needs to win.

We must choose someone who strengthens the ticket rather than sinks it. Jonathan Bush or Bobby Charles are severely flawed candidates who will weaken the Republican ticket in the fall.

I urge Maine Republicans to consider the bigger picture. Nominating Jonathan Bush may satisfy a desire for a “disruptor” with a famous name, but it would be an act of electoral self-harm. Nominating Bobby Charles opens the door for an independent candidate to emerge in a divided party.

Other Republicans on the ticket deserve better. Our legislative candidates deserve better. Most importantly, Maine families who want lower taxes, safer communities and accountable government deserve a Republican Party positioned to win — not one crippled by the top of the ballot. The choice is ours. Let’s make the responsible one.