Muddy Waters

Susan Longchamps, Republican candidate for Maine House District 93 in Lewiston, joins Chuck Ellis to share her story and why she's running for Augusta. Susan grew up in Lewiston's Tree Streets, beat the odds, owns Webbs Market, and has served three years on the Lewiston City Council. Chuck and Susan talk about compassion and accountability, her grandparents' fresh start in Lewiston, why she chose...

Frank Casella, Republican candidate for Maine House District 21 in Bangor, joins Chuck Ellis to talk about why he's running and what he'd fight for in Augusta. Frank moved his family to Bangor for the schools and a safe community, ran for the Bangor School Committee, and works in construction. Chuck and Frank talk about the political binary, why local races matter, media bias, government a...

Thad Moody, Republican candidate for Maine Senate District 30 (Gorham and part of Scarborough), joins Chuck Ellis to talk about accountability, spending, and why he's running. Thad shares his path from Cook's Hardware to president of the co-worker-owned Moody's Collision Centers and the Gorham Town Council, and explains why $155 million in $300 checks was the last straw. Chuck and Thad...

Brett Raio, a Maine-raised singer, producer, pro-life activist and evangelist, joins Chuck Ellis for a wide-ranging conversation about faith, culture and refusing to stay quiet. Brett shares how his music shifted from mainstream pop to songs centered on Jesus, even when his streams dropped from 250,000 to 250. He talks about how that same conviction drives his street preaching, his OppScore campus...

Jennifer Navarro, a 10th-generation Brunswick native and candidate for an at-large seat on the Brunswick Town Council, joins Chuck Ellis for her first-ever interview. After years of attending council, committee, and land-use meetings, she was encouraged by neighbors to run in the one-year special election. Jennifer talks about her family's long history in Brunswick, life as a Marine Corps spou...

David Corbett, Republican candidate for York County Sheriff, joins Chuck Ellis on the Muddy Waters Podcast. A Lyman resident, David spent years in Maine law enforcement with the Saco and Biddeford police departments and the York County Sheriff's Office, then about 13 years as a criminal justice professor. He's also a clergyman, and this is his third run for sheriff. David makes the case th...

In this episode of the Muddy Waters Podcast, Chuck Ellis sits down with Steven Juskewitch, independent candidate for District Attorney in Hancock and Washington counties. Steve shares his background—from a tough upbringing and 28 years of Army service (including the 82nd Airborne and Korea) to decades as a prosecutor, defense attorney, complaint justice, and trial lawyer handling serious felonies....

Chuck Ellis talks with Bret Martell, Lewiston City Councilor and Republican candidate for Maine House District 95.Martell grew up in Lewiston-Auburn and says he never planned on running for office until local conditions and COVID-era policies pushed him in. They cover public safety, youth violence, schools, homelessness policy, and what it’s like to be a conservative on a progressive-dominated cit...

Chuck Ellis sits down with Diana Kushner, Republican candidate for Maine House District 109 in Gorham, on the Muddy Waters Podcast. Kushner shares her family’s journey from Kazakhstan after the collapse of the Soviet Union, why she left a “bubble” of assuming freedom would always be there, and what pushed her to run when the seat opened. They discuss:- Affordability and government spending in Augu...

Chuck Ellis sits down with Joel Furrow, Deputy Director of the Christian Civic League of Maine, to define a term most people only hear as an insult: Christian nationalism. They discuss Joel’s new role and Pray for Maine, then unpack “white Christian nationalism,” competing scholarly definitions, nationalism versus globalism, and whether America should be declared a Christian nation. Joel argues Sc...

Chuck Ellis talks with Gray residents Susan Fuller and Judy Simino about the MSAD 15 cost-sharing fight between Gray and New Gloucester. Gray pays about 66% of the local school share; New Gloucester pays about 34%. By enrollment, the split is closer to 57% / 43%. After 50 years of a property-value formula, Gray residents circulated a petition, forced a cost-sharing committee, and now say the proce...

In this episode of the Muddy Waters Podcast, Chuck Ellis talks with Melissa Winslow, candidate for Maine House District 104 in Gray and New Gloucester. Melissa shares why she decided to run after being asked by Rep. Amy Arata, her work as a mom of five, youth minister, and co-owner of Menlo Agriculture, and her three priorities: affordability, accountability, and opportunity. They dig into Maine’s...

In this episode of the Muddy Waters Podcast, Chuck Ellis talks with Robert Joseph Reed, president of Young Americans for Liberty at Thomas College. Robert shares how he grew up in Livermore Falls, got into debate at Waterville High, and started a YAL chapter on campus. They dig into free speech and free markets, why students are afraid to put their names on a signup sheet, debate night at Thomas,...

In this episode of the Muddy Waters Podcast, Chuck Ellis talks with Katherine Divine, formerly Katherine Parker, about her campaign for Bangor City Council. Katherine shares why she decided to run, how becoming a mom changed her focus, and what she’s hearing from people in Bangor. They dig into public safety, needles in public spaces, homelessness and addiction policy, opioid settlement funds, sch...

In Episode 200 of the Muddy Waters Podcast, host Chuck Ellis welcomes back Bobby Charles, Republican candidate for Governor of Maine, for a deep discussion on the state’s current trajectory and a clear path forward. Having just launched his general election campaign, Bobby outlines why Maine is in peril—skyrocketing property and income taxes driven by unfunded state mandates, the highest energy co...

In this episode of the Muddy Waters Podcast, host Chuck Ellis sits down with Shawn Packard, Republican candidate for Maine House District 64 in Waterville. They dig into why Maine ranks near the bottom in education, economic growth, and affordability despite heavy Democrat control—and why local decisions in Augusta, city halls, and school boards matter far more than the daily drama in Washington....

On this episode of the Muddy Waters Podcast, host Chuck Ellis sits down with Aaron Chadbourne (Inside Maine on WGAN, former senior policy adviser in the LePage administration) for a clear-eyed look at Maine’s major races. They dig into the U.S. Senate contest between Susan Collins and Troy Jackson (following the collapse of Graham Platner’s campaign), Paul LePage’s path in CD2 against Matt Dunlap,...

Chuck Ellis talks with Annalyse Sarvinas, Republican candidate for Maine House District 51 (Topsham).A teacher and mom of two, Annalyse explains why she’s running and the issues she’s focused on: taxes and affordability, government fraud, education reform (including phonics-based literacy), healthcare access, and support for local law enforcement. She also discusses her approach to limited governm...

In this episode of the Muddy Waters Podcast, Chuck Ellis talks with Eryn Soule, former Lewiston City Councilor and Independent candidate for Maine State Senate. Eryn shares how she fell in love with Lewiston after moving from Freeport, her two years on the City Council fighting for public safety, and why she launched a citizens’ petition to put a stricter needle-exchange ordinance on the November...

In this episode of the Muddy Waters Podcast, host Chuck Ellis sits down with Nick Murray, Policy & Communications Director at Lead Maine, for a deep dive into Flock Safety cameras and automatic license plate readers (ALPRs) spreading across Maine. These fixed cameras don’t just read plates—they log make, model, bumper stickers, and even track bikes and pedestrians, feeding data into massive na...

Chuck Ellis interviews Leyland Streiff of Maine Girl Dads about the ongoing legal fight to save the “Protect Girls Sports and Spaces” citizen initiative. After massive signature collection, the Secretary of State’s office invalidated thousands of signatures on technicalities, blocking it from the November ballot. Now in federal court to revalidate signatures and restore the petition.

In this special episode, Chuck Ellis and Richard recap the Biddeford unrest following the ICE shooting. Out-of-state radicals openly incite violence against Maine conservatives, while local right-wing voices use mockery and rapid reporting to disrupt the narrative. Tire slashing, assaults on journalists, and calls to “knock them out” — hear what the mainstream media isn’t covering.

Chuck Ellis is joined by Maddie and Jimmy Cornish to discuss the upcoming 2025 Common Sense Fair at the Litchfield Fairgrounds. They break down the current chaos in Maine Democrat politics, the importance of unfiltered local voices, and why common sense seems in short supply. The conversation dives into this year’s fair lineup, featuring: - Major Mike Gary (Duty to Disobey) - Kevin Jenkins (Florid...

On this episode of Muddy Waters, Chuck Ellis welcomes Charlie Turgeon, Lisbon Town Councilor, to discuss how fiscal reform is possible at the local level. Charlie shares what he’s learned since joining the council: the impact of COVID stimulus creating recurring expenses, the 27% tax increase last year, efforts to keep the municipal rate flat, and the critical need for long-range planning, asset m...

On this episode of Muddy Waters, Chuck Ellis welcomes Pastor Michael (from the Democratic Republic of Congo) and Tim Devine for an inspiring conversation about faith, immigration, and God’s faithfulness. Pastor Michael shares his journey: fleeing war, arriving in the U.S., divine guidance to Maine, building Restoration Church, and his experience being detained by ICE. He talks about prayer, spirit...