BELFAST (WGME) - Jonathan Bush, the cousin of former President George W. Bush, announced his run Wednesday for the Maine gubernatorial race.
The 56-year-old will run as a Republican, leaning on business solutions to the state's problems.
Bush founded Athena Health and says he brought 1,000 jobs to the Midcoast. He claims he's the only candidate for governor with a track record of creating jobs.
"We need someone who is comfortable disrupting, but someone who knows how to build jobs and has a discipline of setting up economic growth and following across all the levers of state government," Bush said.
Bush says Maine is in an "economic growth emergency" and is calling for a $1 billion income tax cut, an audit of the state budget and more access to natural gas.
Bush joins eight Republican candidates running for governor. They include lawyer Bobby Charles, real estate broker David Jones, State Senator Jim Libby, health care entrepreneur Owen McCarthy, and former fitness executive Ben Midgley.
The Republican field also includes Ken Capron, Steven Shepphard, and Robert Wessels.
Bush says he wants Maine to again be a place where small businesses thrive.
"There has to be more emphasis on enabling Mainers of that cultural magic that they have got, they have got to feel like, 'Yup, this is the best place to open a business, change a business, grow a business,'" Bush said.
There are also several Democrats in the race for the Blaine House, including Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, Senator Angus King's son Angus King III, Jason Cherry, Kenneth Pinet, former State Senate President Troy Jackson, and Congresswoman Chellie Pingree's daughter and former Maine lawmaker Hannah Pingree.
On the independent side, there is State Senator Rick Bennett, Ed Crockett, John Glowa Sr., and Alex Murchison.
Bush says he is willing to work with people on both sides of the aisle as long as they have a common goal of improving the state.
"Maine is reasonable," Bush said. "It's a purple state. There are plenty of Democrats who show up to the clean, efficient and improved process and they'll say, 'Hell yeah.'"
Bush says he will be kicking off his statewide tour this week with stops ranging from Presque Isle to Lewiston.