Michael Capeci is the former chairman of the Bangor Republican Party. 

Maine Republicans face a defining choice in this primary election. After two stinging losses in recent gubernatorial races, it is clear our party cannot continue down the same path and expect different results.

If Republicans want to win again, we must nominate a candidate with a bold vision, new ideas and a credible plan to govern. Thankfully, we have that candidate in Owen McCarthy.

Owen McCarthy is exactly the kind of leader Maine Republicans need at this moment. He offers forward-thinking leadership paired with a detailed and realistic plan to deliver results. That is why I am supporting him in the Republican primary.

Maine’s economic problems are not a mystery. We rank near the bottom nationally in new business formation. Young people leave because they cannot find good-paying jobs or affordable housing. Employers struggle to expand, or choose not to locate here at all, because of high taxes, soaring energy costs and permitting delays. Compounding these challenges, Maine ranks 49th in infrastructure, making it even harder to attract new investment.

Fixing these problems requires more than slogans. It requires a leader with management
experience and a concrete economic plan. Owen McCarthy offers both.

At the core of Owen’s Maine 2040 plan is a clear goal: creating 50,000 new foundational jobs. These are high-wage, export-oriented jobs that bring new money into Maine rather than recycling existing dollars.

Conservatives understand this distinction. Prosperity does not come from expanding government programs; it comes from producing, building and selling to the world. Owen’s strategy would strengthen the tax base without raising taxes.

What sets Owen apart is how targeted and realistic his economic vision is. Instead of chasing every trend or headline, he focuses on sectors where Maine already has a competitive advantage. His plan prioritizes maritime and defense industries, advanced forest products and life sciences. These industries build on Maine’s workforce, natural resources, research institutions and national security needs. They anchor communities, raise wages and create durable middle-class jobs.

Owen also recognizes that modern economic development must embrace technology without surrendering to Silicon Valley ideology. His plan treats artificial intelligence, digital assets and remote work as practical tools to increase productivity, lower costs and allow rural Maine to compete. Modernizing permitting and helping small businesses adopt new tools is about efficiency, not social engineering.

Just as important, Owen understands that health care is an economic issue, not just a social one. Maine cannot attract workers or employers if people cannot access affordable, timely care. Rural hospitals are under strain, EMS response times are dangerously long and insurance premiums continue to rise.

Owen’s health care plan focuses on access, cost control and common sense. He prioritizes
strengthening EMS as essential infrastructure, expanding telehealth and provider-to-provider virtual care and allowing health care professionals to practice at the top of their license. By shifting care away from emergency rooms and toward earlier, lower-cost interventions, his plan improves outcomes while lowering costs.

Finally, I want to address a criticism sometimes raised by fellow Republicans, that Owen is too young to be governor. This argument gets it backward. Owen’s youth is a strength. Maine is one of the oldest states in the nation, and we are losing young workers faster than we can replace them. Owen understands why young people leave: limited opportunity, high costs and a government stuck in the past.

His embrace of tools like artificial intelligence, digital permitting, remote work and innovation is not ideological; it is practical. These tools allow rural Maine to compete, small businesses to scale and young families to see a future here.

If Maine Republicans want to build a winning coalition and a growing economy, we must look forward, not backward. Owen McCarthy offers a serious path forward, and that is why I proudly support him. He represents reform, growth and leadership capable of winning statewide elections again for Republicans.