Days after a fatal shooting in Minneapolis, Maine Republicans running for office in 2026 are showing either staunch support for or anxiety over President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement agenda.
The president maintains a firm hold on his party that has been reflected in almost-universal support among elected Republicans for an enforcement surge in Maine. But things have gotten more complicated following the killing of Alex Pretti, a nurse who was shot by Border Patrol agents after appearing to record an immigration enforcement operation on a Minneapolis street.
A growing list of Republican senators, including Maine’s Susan Collins, are pushing for an investigation into Pretti’s death. Gubernatorial candidate Jonathan Bush issued a video statement in which he called on the rest of the field to join him in condemning the federal government’s handling and explanation of the incident.
None of the other candidates joined him on Monday. All of them have a difficult task in getting elected in a Democratic-leaning state without straying too far from their party’s leader during a primary. Collins is in one of the biggest Senate races on the 2026 map and is facing criticism from the two well-known Democrats vying in a primary to replace her.
Federal officials have said Pretti had intended to “massacre” law enforcement and that he had “brandished” a gun, though they have provided no evidence to support either claim. Video taken at the scene from multiple angles appears to show that Pretti, who had been following along with legal observers, was disarmed, pepper sprayed, and pushed to the ground before he was shot multiple times in the back.
Bush, a healthcare entrepreneur and cousin of former President George W. Bush, called the shooting “inexcusable” in his video statement. He accused the Trump administration of pushing “an obviously false narrative.”
“I know most of the people running for governor and among the Republicans, I like them very well,” he said. “I invite them to join me today in condemning this horrible killing and the shameful denial of responsibility by members of our own party.”
So far, nobody has taken him up on the offer. Owen McCarthy, an entrepreneur from Gorham, struck a moderate tone and called the shooting a “tragedy” in a statement, adding that he would work with federal immigration enforcement to focus them on criminals.
“We need a thorough, independent investigation to understand the complete facts, ensure accountability, and stop this from ever happening again,” he said in a statement.
Most candidates have been quiet on the killing, while others have spoken out in support of immigration enforcement in the days since.
Lawyer Bobby Charles, who has adopted Trump’s style, posted a lengthy statement on Facebook titled, “Be Calm, Respect ICE.” He also has said protesters are subject to deadly force if they are inciting “lawless action.” Most law enforcement agencies, including Customs and Border Protection, have guides allowing deadly force only in extremely limited circumstances.
David Jones, a Portland real estate mogul, blamed Democrats for inflaming protests with rhetoric criticizing ICE and CBP. He also declined to directly mention Pretti, but he said anyone being detained while carrying a weapon should let officers know they have a gun. It’s not clear that Pretti had done anything illegal to warrant being detained.
“If you are detained by law enforcement while carrying, the best move is to inform them that there is a firearm on your hip,” he said. “That communication is not only for their safety, it’s for yours. Maine, outside of the radicals on the Left, want ICE here to take criminals off the street and we should be supporting them and not obstructing.”
Daniel O’Connor is a Report for America corps member who covers rural government as part of the partnership between the Bangor Daily News and The Maine Monitor, with additional support from BDN and Monitor readers.
