Key Points
- Funding for Bangor’s 2026 City Council campaigns is from political organisations since the agenda topics under discussion include public safety, police force, needle exchange, and homelessness.
- Jonathan Bush, founder of Maine for Keeps, claims that he himself put money of up to $50,000 in the political action committee’s campaigns in Bangor, Lewiston and Waterville, with an expectation that the total expenditure could reach the sixth figure mark.
- The mission statement for the organisation includes voter education and advocacy in policy matters, not necessarily supporting specific candidates.
- On the contrary, the Concerned Citizens of Bangor, which is another local political action committee, has thrown its weight behind three of the twelve City Council campaign contestants including Joseph Pratt, Terry Dinkins and Anthony Cote.
- According to the PAC chairman, Philip Henry, the committee has got some local sources of funding and would like to stay away from dividing the votes among so many candidates.
- Maine Republican Party’s Chairman, Jim Deyermond, encouraged the people to have Republicans and conservatives elected to the council positions.
- However, Mitchell Cooper, the progressive organiser, expressed his concern over the large expenditure incurred by the rich individuals in the effort to influence the race.
Bangor (Wales Times) October 13, 2026 — Political groups invest in uk/local/bangor/">Bangor City Council race as outside organisations increase spending and campaign activity ahead of November’s municipal elections, turning attention on a nonpartisan local contest that has drawn a record 12 candidates for three open seats.
As reported by Brittany McHatten of WABI, speakers at a Monday event cited public safety, police staffing, needle exchanges and homelessness as central concerns in the council races. The event highlighted a growing effort by political organisations to shape the outcome of Bangor’s local government elections.
Jonathan Bush, a former Republican gubernatorial candidate and founder of Maine for Keeps, said his organisation hopes its investment in local races in Bangor, Lewiston and Waterville will reach six figures. “I gave, as you know, 50,000 bucks, which is all I had left in Maine for Keeps,” Bush said, according to WABI. “And I’m hoping to get another 50 from the other folks that are concerned.”
Bush said Maine for Keeps focuses on voter education and policy advocacy rather than endorsing candidates. He argued that city councils are where the group can have the greatest influence.
Which Bangor Candidates Are Being Backed?
Concerned Citizens of Bangor is supporting three of the 12 declared candidates for City Council, according to Philip Henry, a member of the group.
“We have a PAC set up. We have funding coming in from the local Bangor community. And so, we are supporting three candidates,”
Henry said, as reported by WABI. “We don’t want the vote to get diluted.”
As reported by Annie Rupertus of the Bangor Daily News, the PAC has endorsed Joseph Pratt, Terry Dinkins and Anthony Cote. Henry attended the West Market Square event alongside Bush and criticised the Yellen Pines housing development, public drug use and understaffing in the Bangor Police Department.
Henry said the group wants transparency and measurable progress on fully staffing the Police Department. He also said there is bipartisan support for its calls for change.
What Has Jonathan Bush’s Group Done So Far?
Maine for Keeps has already released more than 10 social-media advertisements, according to the Meta ad library, with most advertisements focusing on rising taxes and crime. Bush said residents can also expect advertisements on streaming services.
As reported by the Bangor Daily News, Bush announced last week that he plans to invest $100,000 in council elections in Bangor, Lewiston and Waterville through Maine for Keeps. He has personally committed $50,000 to the effort.
At Monday’s event, Bush criticised harm reduction and the Yellen Pines housing development, while calling for economic growth in Maine. He said Maine for Keeps should spend its money where it can gain the most leverage, which he identified as city councils.
The Bangor Daily News reported that Bush previously said he selected Bangor, Lewiston and Waterville because he did not believe it was feasible for his preferred candidates to win in Portland.
What Did Republican Leaders Say?
Maine Republican Party Chairman Jim Deyermond urged voters to support Republicans in the Bangor election. “Put sane Republicans and conservatives on this city council,” he said, according to WABI.
At the West Market Square event, Deyermond criticised sitting council members and pointed to syringe litter and policing concerns. He argued that people repeatedly arrested should be taken into custody and required to enter rehabilitation.
Deyermond also blamed Democrats for addiction-related problems, saying they had failed to address the issue. His remarks drew criticism from some residents attending the event.
How Have Bangor Residents Responded?
About 20 people gathered in Bangor’s West Market Square on Monday morning for the launch of Bush’s advertising campaign, according to the Bangor Daily News. Some attendees supported the effort, while others expressed concern about outside money entering a formally nonpartisan election.
MaryAnn Larson, a resident who attended, said she was unhappy with the rhetoric around drug addiction, describing it as an oversimplification. She noted that speakers did not mention the Sackler family or the wider opioid epidemic.
Larson also said she supports the Yellen Pines housing development, which is expected to house 30 chronically homeless residents when it opens. She said the project shows that action is finally being taken after a long period without progress.
Irv Masters, owner of Bangor Letter Shop, welcomed the attention on the election. He said his Washington Street business has experienced encampments nearby and that he is frustrated by what he described as council inaction on homelessness and addiction. Masters said he has been campaigning for Pratt and Dinkins.
What Do Council Candidates Say About Outside Spending?
Several candidates running for Bangor City Council have criticised Bush’s involvement. Candidate John King attended the event and said the election should focus on residents rather than outside political influence or partisanship.
“This is just proving that it’s now become a partisan election,”
King said, according to the Bangor Daily News.
Fellow candidates Andrei Yermakov and Dawson Nevells expressed similar concerns. In a Facebook post, Nevells said the people of Bangor should decide the city’s future rather than political parties, outside interests or the candidate with the deepest pockets.
Mitchell Cooper, a Bangor resident and progressive organiser, criticised the political spending as an attempt by wealthy people to influence the election. He said the money should instead be directed towards solutions including needle return boxes, a needle bounty programme and funding to fully staff the Police Department.
Background of the Development
Bangor’s City Council election has attracted unusually high interest this year, with 12 candidates competing for three open seats. The Bangor Daily News reported that council meetings have been packed in recent months as residents and business owners have pressed officials over homelessness, addiction and public safety.
Jonathan Bush is a Cape Elizabeth resident, technology entrepreneur and cousin of former President George W. Bush. He co-founded Athenahealth in the 1990s and made an unsuccessful bid for the Republican nomination for Maine governor earlier in 2026.
Maine for Keeps cannot endorse council candidates under its bylaws, according to statements reported by the Bangor Daily News. Bush has said he may personally endorse candidates in Bangor, Lewiston and Waterville in the coming weeks.
Vincent Harris, a strategist for Bobby Charles’s campaign who has previously worked for Texas Senator Ted Cruz, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party and a pro-Trump Super PAC, is overseeing Maine for Keeps’ local election project.
Prediction: How Could This Affect Bangor Voters?
The increased spending is likely to make Bangor’s City Council election more visible to voters, particularly through social-media and streaming advertisements focused on taxes, crime, homelessness and public safety.
For Bangor voters, the development could sharpen debate around police staffing, addiction policy, housing and the Yellen Pines development. Candidates backed by Concerned Citizens of Bangor may receive additional organisational support, while opponents of outside spending may use the issue to argue for a locally focused, nonpartisan campaign.
The contest may also test whether outside political investment changes voter behaviour in a municipal election that has traditionally received limited attention beyond the Bangor area. With a record number of candidates and three seats available, the distribution of votes could be especially important.
