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Robert A.G. Monks, Ken Cole, and Ted O’Meara are former chairs of the Maine Republican Party.
As former chairs of the Maine Republican Party, we enthusiastically endorse Kamala Harris for president of the United States.
We led our party at a time when candidates of both parties were not only civil and believed in the rule of law, they, we believe, had the best interests of the state and entire nation foremost in their hearts, even when we disagreed on policies. We see these same positive characteristics are on full display in Vice President Harris and her candidacy. Sadly, they are completely lacking in her opponent, former President Donald Trump.
Never can we recall a candidate from either major political party whose sole mission seems to be to divide our nation, divide our communities and, often, divide families and friendships. Whether it is race, religion, gender, ethnicity or country of origin, Trump continues to pit us against each other in his frightening, cynical quest to get elected again.
In contrast, we have seen in Harris a collaborative and capable leader committed to bringing people together, and we believe her when she says that she is committed to being a president for all Americans, regardless of political party.
Each of us has had the honor of traveling the state of Maine to recruit and support candidates and to talk about the values that a big-tent Republican Party once stood for. Trump’s MAGA Republican Party is unrecognizable to us.
Like people all over Maine, we are tired of the chaos and lies of Trump. More and more Republican leaders are supporting Harris, including former Vice President Dick Cheney, former U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney and more than a dozen alumni of Ronald Reagan’s administration. More than 100 high-ranking Republican officials from past administrations have signed a letter calling Trump “unfit to serve again as president, or indeed in any office of public trust.”
They know our world is a complex and challenging place. On the debate stage in Philadelphia, Trump refused to say whether he wants Ukraine to prevail against Russian aggression, a position previous generations of Republican leaders would have found unthinkable, just like Trump’s cozying up to dictators like Vladimir Putin, Victok Orban and Kim Jong Un.
European allies are waiting to see if their faith in America is going to be affirmed by a Harris victory or undermined by a Trump win. China is circling Taiwan, and the Middle East desperately needs calm and determined U.S. leadership. We believe another Trump presidency would make our world a far more dangerous place.
Closer to home, we fear Trump will follow the Project 2025 blueprint to gut programs and policies that are good for Maine people — like health insurance protections for pre-existing conditions through the Affordable Care Act and Social Security and Medicare programs that enable Maine seniors to live with dignity.
The key question this fall is whether a majority of Maine people will vote for an America that believes in free and fair elections, defends personal freedoms like a woman’s right to choose and get proper healthcare, and supports a tax structure where everyone pays their fair share. Or will they fall for Trump’s election lies, endanger more of our personal liberties, and enable tax and trade policies that will hurt Maine workers.
Much of the leadership of today’s Republican Party has joined the cult of Donald Trump, and we know that they will care little for what we have to say. But we also know that the Republican Party in Maine is still home to many honest, hardworking, principled people who — more than any party label — want what is best for our state and nation. We hope that they will join us in supporting Kamala Harris for president.
Former Georgia Lt. Governor, Republican Geoff Duncan, put it best in his speech to the Democratic convention last month when he said: “Let me be clear to my Republican friends at home: If you vote for Kamala Harris in 2024 you’re not a Democrat, you’re a patriot.”
On Nov. 5, be a patriot.
