Isa Cruz

Before customers even walk into Gulf of Maine Bookstore, they are met with a “Maine for Harris” campaign sign outside of the shop. Political commentary decorates the display window, the inside walls, bookshelves and tables—ranging from prints criticizing former President Donald Trump to brochures urging people to vote.

The owners of the bookstore, Gary Lawless and Beth Leonard, have set up shop for 45 years and have been politically vocal since then, integrating their politics with their business. They aren’t the only Brunswick community members who are vocal about their political leanings, though. As the 2024 Presidential Election approaches, Brunswick inhabitants are increasingly vocal about their political participation, openly displaying their endorsements and encouraging discourse across the political spectrum.

Lawless and Leonard believe that their position as bookstore owners is integral to how they engage with politics in Brunswick and how they serve the greater community.

“We think bookstores are supposed to be places where those conversations happen and where that information is available and where it’s okay to have opinions and talk about them,” Lawless said.

Lawless and Leonard are clear about where they stand, openly endorsing Harris and critiquing the Republican Party. It even comes down to the selection of books they offer, with shelves separated into sections with feminist authors, social advocacy and climate activism.

“Clearly, we don’t carry everything,” Leonard said. “We didn’t carry books by the leading anti-vaxxers in the middle of COVID. It just didn’t seem like it was responsible to do that.”

Other businesses take a different approach on political engagement, maintaining a largely nonpartisan space while indirectly—and at times, directly—encouraging clientele to involve themselves in politics.

One of these businesses is The Abbey, a café on Maine Street that has been open for almost ten months. Maine-bred co-proprietor Connor Scott describes himself as always being very politically involved, recalling accompanying his mom to election booths every year growing up. A member of his university Board of Trustees as a student, co-founder of DivestUMaine and former campaigner, Scott’s political involvement is extensive.

“We love Maine and want it to thrive and survive as much as possible. It becomes a little challenging now, being a business owner,” Scott said. “We have to think about what ways to engage and what ways not to engage, so we definitely are not being silent about [politics and current events]. But, we have had to not be necessarily as political.”

One way The Abbey is exercising a neutral means of political engagement is through their current WiFi password, which is set as “pleasevote.” To the left of the café entrance is a newspaper bench decorated with newspapers and pamphlets endorsing the Democratic Party. The owners are not responsible for this display, however; this literature is sourced from their clients.

“We get the weekend papers, and then everything else that’s on that newspaper bench is just stuff that people have dropped off,” Scott said. “Anyone can drop anything they want, but I think this community as a whole generally leans in one particular direction.”

Owner of the Lighthouse Variety & Deli Rebecca Marcos is keenly aware of Brunswick’s political leanings. Prior to this election year, she didn’t openly disclose support or even consider herself very politically involved. She now proudly exhibits campaign signs supporting Republican candidates outside of her deli, which has caused a shift in her clientele. Some old customers confronted her and revoked their business and new customers came in with open support.

“I think I just got sick and tired of seeing my personal choice candidate be slandered repeatedly, and I wanted to show support,” Marcos said. “There was a little bit of fear of potentially losing customers because of it—because we are in such a polarized town—but I said, ‘I don’t care. It’s time to say what you feel and not be afraid of backlash.’”

While community member Katharine Watson does not share Marcos’s political leaning, she shares the sentiment that this is an important election and that displaying political endorsements is key.

Watson’s front yard is filled with campaign signs, but her political involvement doesn’t end there. She works alongside the Brunswick Democratic Headquarters, encouraging people to vote, conversing with fellow community members about politics and financially supporting her political candidates of choice.

“I want [people] to know that someone of my age and my life, really cares about the beliefs that are being expressed with these politicians and a person who’s considered by young people to be very old really cares about things that we all care about,” Watson said.

Regardless of the beliefs displayed by community members, there are consistent, overarching themes of open discourse and encouraging political involvement.

“I think you have the ability as a citizen in this state to have an impact that is outsized compared to other places. People look out for one another. They try to take care of their neighbors, take care of their community,” Scott said. “That’s what people here want to do, even if they view the solution as different from different sides.”

As the election nears, feelings of anxiety pervade community members’ minds. People on all sides of the political spectrum feel that there is a lot at stake.

The recurring silver lining among them is the idea that citizens have a voice and can make an impact.

“We want people to vote. Not necessarily telling you who to vote for—we just want people to vote,” Lawless said.