Republican state Sen. Garrett Mason formally launched his gubernatorial campaign before an enthusiastic crowd of about 100 people at an event in Lewiston Thursday.
The 32-year-old Lisbon Falls resident and Senate majority leader vowed to pursue an aggressive conservative agenda — cutting taxes, shrinking government and ending what he said was a divisive political climate in Augusta.
“As governor I will take this on, understanding that every dollar not going to Augusta is a dollar that is staying where it belongs: in your pocket,” Mason said. “I see the problems, I understand the solutions and I have the courage to stand up and put Maine first.”
He made multiple mentions of putting Maine first — a riff on a slogan used by President Donald Trump.
Mason supported Trump last year after he originally helped Texas Sen. Ted Cruz win Maine’s presidential caucuses. A devout Christian, Mason helped organize a rally for Trump at the Open Door Baptist Church in Lisbon a week before the election.
Mason is the third Republican to enter the governor’s race. He's running as a Maine Clean Elections candidate, which means his campaign will have to collect a certain number of small-dollar donations to qualify for public funding.
