The BDN Opinion section operates independently and does not set news policies or contribute to reporting or editing articles elsewhere in the newspaper or on bangordailynews.com
Miles Theeman worked for 45 years in various leadership capacities at Northern Light Health and Eastern Maine Healthcare Systems and in several civic, economic development and educational initiatives.
Serious leadership requires more than identifying problems and blaming someone else. It requires the discipline to present solutions, prioritize them, and explain how they will actually work in practice. That is why I support Owen McCarthy for governor.
This election comes at a pivotal moment for our state. Mainers know something is wrong. Families are struggling under the weight of rising property taxes, higher energy costs, inflated housing prices, and an economy that too often pushes young people to leave in search of opportunity elsewhere.
At the same time, confidence in Augusta continues to erode as government spending grows, public services disappoint, and the focus too often moves away from our most important problems. Nearly every candidate running for governor can recite these frustrations. What has struck me, however, is how few have moved beyond slogans and talking points to present a serious governing agenda.
Owen McCarthy has.
His Maine 2040 plan is, by far, the most detailed and thoughtful policy framework I have seen in this race, including a clear focus on creating 50,000 foundational jobs across Maine. As the only Republican candidate with roots north of Augusta, Owen also understands that Maine’s future cannot be built by focusing only on Portland, Augusta, or the communities closest to power. It has to include the entire state.
To me, whether one agrees with every proposal is beside the point. What matters is that he has clearly done the work. He has approached the challenges facing Maine not as a politician searching for applause lines, but as someone trying to solve problems systematically and honestly.
That distinction matters.
Too often in politics, candidates campaign in broad generalities. They promise to “fight for working families,” “grow the economy,” or “fix Augusta.” But when you ask what specifically they would do differently, the answers become vague very quickly.
Owen is different because he has taken the time to connect the dots between Maine’s economic problems and the structural reforms needed to address them. His plan recognizes that affordability is tied directly to energy policy, housing supply, workforce shortages, educational outcomes, economic prosperity, and government spending.
He understands that you cannot build a stronger economy while simultaneously making it harder to build homes, harder to hire workers, harder to start businesses, and more expensive to heat a home or operate a factory.
I especially appreciate Owen’s understanding of systems and execution. Regardless of the setting, good intentions alone accomplish very little. Success depends on incentives, management, accountability, and measurable outcomes. I see Owen approaches government with that same mindset.
I also believe his personal story gives him credibility that cannot be manufactured. Owen did not emerge from political circles or inherited institutions. He grew up in northern Maine, understands rural communities firsthand, and built a successful healthcare technology company through hard work and innovation.
He can speak authentically about both sawmills and software, about economic opportunity in Bangor and in Patten. That breadth of perspective is rare.
Most importantly, I believe his campaign reflects a seriousness that Maine desperately needs right now. At a time when public trust in institutions is low, voters deserve more than performative outrage or carefully crafted rhetoric. They deserve a candidate willing to present an actual governing blueprint and stand behind it.
In my view, Owen McCarthy has done exactly that.
Whether you are Republican, Democrat, or independent, I strongly encourage you to spend time reading his Maine 2040 plan before casting a vote. You may not agree with every proposal, but I think you will come away recognizing something increasingly uncommon in modern politics — a candidate who has clearly thought deeply about the future of our state and is prepared to lead it.
