Jonathan Bush, the nephew of one former president and the cousin of another, is seeking to extend his family’s political dynasty as the next Republican governor of Maine.
The health care entrepreneur announced on Wednesday a bid to flip the governor’s seat in a blue-leaning battleground state. Democratic Gov. Janet Mills cannot run for reelection after serving two consecutive terms.
“I’ve made my career disrupting the status quo, creating jobs and helping people achieve their American dream,” Bush said in a video announcing his campaign. “That’s what I will do as governor.”
The campaign marks Bush’s first foray into politics after a career in health technology. He co-founded and helmed athenahealth, before being forced out of the company amid a hedge fund takeover in 2018. The move came shortly after he admitted to assaulting his ex-wife years before. He is currently the CEO of Zus Health, a company he started in 2020.
Bush enters a crowded primary contest that includes a handful of other challengers. Maine Democrats will choose between Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, former Senate President Troy Jackson, and Angus King III, the son of former Maine governor and current Sen. Angus King.
It remains to be seen whether Bush’s lineage will be an asset in what may be a crowded Republican primary. Members of the Bush family have often been cast as antagonists by President Donald Trump and many of his supporters.
Trump catapulted to the Republican presidential nomination in 2016 in part by denigrating former Florida Governor Jeb Bush — a cousin of the health care executive.
After George P. Bush aggressively sought Trump’s endorsement and distanced himself from his family during his campaign for Texas Attorney General in 2022, Trump endorsed incumbent and close ally Ken Paxton.
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