With less than a week to the June 9 primary, local voters had an up-close view of Ben Midgley, a retired businessman who is one of seven candidates seeking the Republican gubernatorial nomination. Midgley, of Kennebunk, is a first-time candidate.

Midgley recently received the endorsement of former Maine First Lady Ann LePage and her daughter Lauren LePage, who is working on the Midgely campaign staff. A political event was hosted June 1 at Cook's Landing in Edgecomb, by Ann LePage, who works there, and by Cook's Landing owners Cindy Landry and Brian Cookson. 

Thirty-eight people attended the meet-and-greet and remained for a hour-long question and answer session.

Midgley believes it’s time to start focusing on economic growth and improving the state’s stagnant economy. He cited an economic forecast which stated “Maine has zero job growth through 2029.”

Midgley said “That just can’t happen. I’ve driven all over the state meeting with businesses, and it’s time, after seven years, to bring back opportunity to the state."

His economic package would include tax cuts, lower energy and housing costs and providing an easier pathway from welfare to the  job market. Midgley said he understands how hard it is to get off welfare. “I was once on welfare and state assistance. I know, if you make a few dollars extra then you reach the ‘cliff.’ We will make changes that make sense and are right for these families,” he said.

Midgley is a former Democrat. He switched to Republican 11 years ago. He believes once elected the tone needs to change from “blame” to “cooperation” in Augusta. He wants to work in a unified fashion to solve problems. “We can’t come in and just blame the Democrats. We need to provide common sense solutions which attract support from Republicans, Democrats and Independent voters,” he said.

Midgley launched his campaign in August 2025 after reflecting on the past seven years. He believes Maine’s problems can be solved and he is the leader to solve them. In private life, he attended college, but didn’t finish. He entered the fitness industry by cleaning gym equipment in exchange for a membership. Midgley learned every aspect of the fitness industry and spent 30 years becoming one of the most successful leaders in the industry nationwide.

He is the former president of Planet Fitness. Most recently, Midgley was a founding partner and former chief executive officer of Crunch Franchising, LLC. He led the company for 15 years from a startup into a billion-dollar business, creating over 15,000 jobs, with over 460 locations.

“My success comes from learning from others who know more than I do,” he said. Midgley would also bring a different set of priorities to the Blaine House. He is critical of the state's leadership especially in the business community. “It’s abysmal how we support business in the state of Maine,” he said. “A priority would be focusing on the needs of our legacy industries like fishing, agriculture, farming, and forestry.”

Ann LePage said Midgley is the best candidate for the position. "He is a businessman, like Paul (LePage, former governor and U.S. Congressional candidate) and I think that's important," she said. "Ben and his wife Sonia remind me a lot of Paul and me when Paul first ran. In the Blaine House, you need someone by your side that is your partner. You need someone to support you 100%, trust 100% and be knocked down when you need to be knocked down. I pray Ben wins," she said. 

Midgley also would support law enforcement and not defund it. He would promote finding a solution to the increasing drug problem and encourage schools return to focuings on academics, and away from social and emotional learning.