Corey Bouchard
Corey Bouchard (Democratic Party) is running for election to the Maine House of Representatives to represent District 88. He declared candidacy for the 2026 election.[source]
Bouchard completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Corey Bouchard was born in Norway, Maine. He served in the U.S. Army from 2014 to 2019. He graduated from Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School. He earned a bachelor's degree from Full Sail University in 2022 and a graduate degree from Full Sail University in 2023. His career experience includes working as a flight attendant.[1]
Elections
2026
See also: Maine House of Representatives elections, 2026
General election
The general election will occur on November 3, 2026.
General election for Maine House of Representatives District 88
Incumbent Quentin Chapman and Corey Bouchard are running in the general election for Maine House of Representatives District 88 on November 3, 2026.
Candidate | ||
 | Quentin Chapman (R) | |
 | Corey Bouchard (D)  | |
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Endorsements
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Campaign themes
2026
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Corey Bouchard completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Bouchard's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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Later, as a television news reporter, I served my community by telling its stories. From the struggles of working families to the hopes of small business owners, I spent years on the ground listening. My experiences covering the emotional aftermath of the Lewiston mass shooting—a tragedy that hit home as my second cousin owned Schemengees—and the repeal of Roe v. Wade have shaped my views on gun safety and reproductive rights.
My identity as a gay man has also instilled in me an unwavering commitment to dignity and respect for every single person. I’m running for Maine House District 88 to be a voice for our community in Augusta—to fight for good jobs, affordable healthcare, a strong education for our kids, and a Maine where everyone feels they belong.
The time for action is now, and I can't do it alone. I’m asking you to join me on this mission to build a stronger, more inclusive Maine.- Ending Gun Violence and Keeping Our Communities Safe The time for common-sense gun safety is now. Having covered the emotional aftermath of the Lewiston tragedy, which impacted my own family, I know the stakes are incredibly high. In Augusta, I will be a tireless advocate for strong gun safety laws, including an extreme risk protection order, to prevent another tragedy and ensure that every Mainer feels safe in their community.
- Protecting Reproductive Freedom and Body Autonomy My experience covering the repeal of Roe v. Wade showed me how fragile our rights can be. I believe that every Mainer deserves the right to make their own healthcare decisions, without government interference. I will fight to protect and expand access to reproductive healthcare, ensuring that everyone has the freedom to control their own bodies and futures.
- Fighting for Dignity and Equality for All Our community is built on resilience and hard work. As a gay man who has spent my life in Auburn, I know that true strength comes from ensuring everyone feels they belong and are treated with dignity. I am committed to fighting for full LGBTQ+ equality and a Maine where every single person, regardless of who they are or who they love, has a fair shot to thrive.
His example speaks directly to the journey I’ve taken from my years as a paratrooper to stepping into the political arena. He successfully navigated the complexity of being both a veteran—a symbol of national duty and sacrifice—and a pioneering openly gay man in national politics. His story validates the idea that you don't have to separate your identity from your service; in fact, your unique background strengthens your ability to lead and connect with diverse populations.
Furthermore, I deeply value the fact that his rise was rooted in local government as the Mayor of South Bend. As I seek to serve in the Maine House, his time as a mayor reminds me that the most impactful work often happens at the local and state level, where you are deeply rooted in the daily lives of your constituents. I admire his ability to blend pragmatic, results-driven governance with a hopeful, modern vision for the future. He showed that you can be authentic, professional, and fiercely intelligent while still maintaining a dedication to the grassroots issues that affect real people.
As a candidate and hopefully as a representative for Maine House District 88, the legacy I want to leave is defined by three interconnected pillars: safety, freedom, and dignity.
It may seem like a straightforward classic, but for me, it defines the essence of the representative I strive to be: a person defined by moral courage and profound empathy.
The book is powerful because it illustrates that the hardest fights are often the ones you know you can’t win, but that you must engage in anyway. Atticus Finch, the central figure, serves as my personal blueprint for how to operate in a political system. He represents a kind of leadership that is not flashy or self-serving, but deeply rooted in doing what is fundamentally right for the community and for the individual.
This principle of courage directly connects to my life of service, first as a paratrooper, and now as a candidate. In the Army, courage is physical—jumping out of a plane or running toward fire. In politics, courage is moral: it means standing up to powerful interests, sacrificing personal popularity, and fighting for those who can’t fight for themselves.
This is the courage I’ve committed to bringing to Augusta when I fight for common-sense gun safety (Message 1) and against political inertia after the tragedy in Lewiston. It is about bringing the same tenacity Atticus brought to the courtroom.
The Essential Lesson of Empathy and Dignity
Beyond courage, the book’s most vital lesson, delivered through the eyes of Scout, is empathy. Atticus famously tells Scout, "You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view... until you climb into his skin and walk around in it."
The reason for choosing him goes beyond the lightsaber and the heroism. It lies in the arc of his character: his growth from an optimistic but naive farm boy into a disciplined warrior and, ultimately, a spiritual leader who saves the galaxy not through brute force, but through unyielding faith in the possibility of redemption and dignity.
When I was a paratrooper, the mission was always clear. My unit and I had a shared purpose, a defined role, and a sense of camaraderie that came from knowing we were all in it together. Every day, you knew exactly what you were fighting for and who you were fighting alongside. It was physically and mentally demanding, but the clarity of that purpose was a powerful force.
I believe what truly makes an elected official effective is a genuine connection to the community and a commitment to its shared values. It's about bringing a fresh perspective, cutting through the noise, and working collaboratively to get things done, regardless of whether you've held a political office before.
I would choose U.S. Representative Jared Golden.
That said, I've dedicated my life to service, and I believe in a future where I can continue to do that in whatever capacity is most impactful. So while my sights are set on winning this election and serving my community in Augusta, I'm not ruling out the possibility of a different office down the road.
There is one story that constantly stays with me. It didn't happen in a committee room or at a big rally; it happened right here in Auburn during a small gathering. I met a woman named Marie, a single mother who worked at one of the local factories.
She wasn't talking about political theory; she was just talking about her son, Alex, who is about 16. Alex had started struggling severely with anxiety after the events of October 2023—not because he was directly involved, but because of the fear and weight that settled over our entire community. Marie told me how she tried to get him the mental health support he needed, but their insurance had a deductible so high it was effectively useless.
She broke down when she said she was sitting at her kitchen table one night, holding two bills: one for Alex's therapy appointment and one for the electricity. She told me, "Corey, I’m supposed to be strong. I fought my whole life to give him a better chance, and now I’m failing him because I can’t afford to make him well."
That story became profoundly impactful to me. It showed me that our policy decisions—whether on affordable healthcare access, mental health funding, or the necessity of strong local jobs—aren't abstract. They are literally the difference between a mother being able to give her child dignity and hope, or having to choose which basic need to sacrifice.
Emergency powers are necessary tools for a governor to act quickly in a time of crisis. However, without legislative oversight, there is a risk of those powers being used without a full and transparent debate on their impact on citizens. I believe the legislature's role should be to set clear, time-limited parameters for how and when a governor can declare and exercise emergency powers, and to be empowered to extend or revoke them as the situation evolves.
My experience covering the aftermath of the Lewiston tragedy, and hearing firsthand from local families struggling to cope, showed me the massive gaps in our system. People who work hard simply cannot afford the high co-pays and crippling deductibles required for essential counseling and psychiatric care. This is a dignity issue.
I do believe the process could benefit from some thoughtful changes, particularly to protect the spirit of direct democracy while ensuring we have well-crafted, effective laws. One of the most critical issues is ensuring clarity. In recent years, we've seen ballot questions that are deliberately confusing, with titles that don't clearly explain the subject matter. This can disenfranchise voters who want to make an informed choice but are presented with misleading information.
To address this, I would support legislative changes that require the Secretary of State or a non-partisan, independent body to draft the language of a ballot question. The primary goal would be to ensure that the title and summary are concise and neutral, allowing voters to understand exactly what a "yes" or "no" vote means.
She wasn't talking about political theory; she was just talking about her son, Alex, who is about 16. Alex had started struggling severely with anxiety after the events of October 2023—not because he was directly involved, but because of the fear and weight that settled over our entire community. Marie told me how she tried to get him the mental health support he needed, but their insurance had a deductible so high it was effectively useless.
She broke down when she said she was sitting at her kitchen table one night, holding two bills: one for Alex's therapy appointment and one for the electricity. She told me, "Corey, I’m supposed to be strong. I fought my whole life to give him a better chance, and now I’m failing him because I can’t afford to make him well."
That story became profoundly impactful to me. It showed me that our policy decisions—whether on affordable healthcare access, mental health funding, or the necessity of strong local jobs—aren't abstract. They are literally the difference between a mother being able to give her child dignity and hope, or having to choose which basic need to sacrifice.
For five years in the U.S. Army, service was about physical discipline and collective mission. When I left, I carried that desire for purpose into journalism, reporting on our community's day-to-day life. But no assignment prepared me for October 25, 2023.
I was there as a reporter, covering the mass shooting that rocked Lewiston. It was horrific, but for me, it was also deeply personal—my second cousin owned Schemengees, one of the targeted locations. Being on the ground, witnessing that grief, that visceral fear, and the resulting call for change, created an internal conflict I couldn't ignore. As a journalist, my role was to report the facts and tell the story of the community’s pain. As a human, I knew I had to do more than just write the final headline.
My proudest accomplishment is the decision I made in the wake of that tragedy: the choice to resign from journalism and enter the political arena. It was a terrifying decision—to trade the relative safety of reporting for the tumultuous, uncertain fight of a campaign. But I realized that all the discipline the Army taught me, and all the empathy I gained reporting on issues like the repeal of Roe v. Wade, had prepared me for this moment.
The accomplishment wasn't just running for office; it was the ability to translate profound personal grief and a reporter's awareness of systemic failure into action and commitment. It meant deciding that the only honorable path forward was to become a tireless advocate for the very solution I covered: Ending Gun Violence and keeping our communities safe through measures like an Extreme Risk Protection Order (ERPO).
It is a source of immense pride that I am no longer just recording the history of my community; I am actively fighting to shape its future, grounded in the belief that my life of service has led me precisely to this necessary fight for our collective safety, freedom, and dignity.
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Campaign finance summary
Campaign finance information for this candidate is not yet available from OpenSecrets. That information will be published here once it is available.
See also
2026 Elections
External links
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Candidate Maine House of Representatives District 88 |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on September 26, 2025
