Janet Mills recruited an ex-Republican to run for her former legislative seat

Four years ago, Stephan Bunker was a Republican candidate for a Maine House of Representatives seat. He is now a Democrat taking the place of the man he lost to on this year’s ballot.

The race for the Farmington-based seat is an odd example of Maine’s cordial brand of local politics. It also speaks to the sway of Gov. Janet Mills, who lives in the town and worked with outgoing state Rep. Scott Landry to recruit Bunker, a longtime firefighter and former selectman, in what they term as an attempt to add to the centrist ranks in a polarized Augusta.

In November, the newly minted Democrat faces Republican Randy Gauvin of Farmington, a retired physician assistant who practiced in the local hospital for 28 years. Landry bowed out of this year’s race after the June primary, saying he wants to spend more time on his farm. Local Democrats voted this week to select Bunker as his replacement.

Around the time Gauvin declared for the race early this year, he spoke to Bunker to talk about running for the seat. At that time, Bunker was ruling out a run in part because he was assuming that Landry was still in. It was also before Bunker stepped down as a selectman at the March town meeting and the overtures from Landry and Mills.

“I missed the close contact with citizens in the community and being able to reach out and do things for folks,” Bunker said.

Mills met with Bunker twice — once alone and once with Landry — as the Democrats persuaded him to switch sides. The governor has warred with the more progressive group of Democrats in charge of the Legislature over tribal rights and spending . Landry has voted against his party as much as almost any other member of the Legislature.

The governor, who held the Farmington-area seat in the early 2000s, told Bunker that she wanted somebody with civic experience who is “middle of the road and can help build consensus,” he said.

When Bunker ran as a Republican in 2020, he prioritized the standard conservative issues of gun rights and cracking down on welfare abuse . He said his views have not changed, although he cited nonpartisan issues including expanded veterans services as priorities this time.

In an interview, Gauvin said he was drawn into politics by his opposition to the Mills-backed 2023 law that allowed doctors to perform abortions after a previous viability cutoff. In an early vote, Democrats only advanced it by one vote . Gauvin reasoned that if the pro-abortion rights Landry was not representing the district, it could have been blocked.

“I’m going to get down there, and I’m going to try to push the idea of common sense going on making these decisions,” he said.

Gauvin had nothing negative to say about Bunker, although he did say that he did not agree with the Democrat switching parties to make another run for the seat. It likely portends a civil campaign in a swing Maine town.

“It’s a different world over here,” Landry said after noting that . “We get along.”

Correction: An earlier version of this story misstated the timing of the caucus in which local Democrats nominated Bunker for the House seat. It was this week.