MEXICO, Maine — In the western Maine foothills, politics are as unique as the landscape. Where much of the state and country has drifted toward partisan affiliations, Oxford County has charted its own course.
According to the most recent data from Maine.gov, around 34 percent of registered voters in Oxford County are not enrolled in a party—a larger share than any other county in the state, beating out Republicans and Democrats in the area.
Winning elections means winning this unpredictable block for the candidates trying to represent this independent-minded region.
"That is the group that you actually campaign for," Bruce Bryant, a Democrat running for an open state Senate seat in Oxford County, said Tuesday.
While Bryant is confident that up-ticket names like Kamala Harris can drive solid Democratic votes his way, his campaign focuses squarely on the voters who haven’t "hardened."
To accomplish this, Bryant is relying on a strategy of personal politics, instead of party allegiance—not too different from the Golden campaign.
"[I] meet them, I talk to them face to face with a frank discussion," Bryant said. "They can size you up."
Republicans appear to be taking a different, more pugilistic route in capturing the vote in Oxford County, explicitly targeting the Democratic party.
Bryant’s opponent, Joseph Martin, did not directly respond to NEWS CENTER Maine’s request for an interview. However, Jason Savage, executive director of the Maine GOP, issued a statement, blaming Democrats for issues like high property taxes and the high rate of undocumented immigration at the U.S.-Mexico border.
"Our approach is very simple. Democrats caused these problems through very partisan legislation and actions, but Republicans will fix them by working with anyone who will do what's right," Savage wrote.
While it isn’t yet clear which strategy will prove more effective in capturing the Oxford County vote, both speak to how each candidate views the beliefs of the unenrolled voters.
Michael Franz, a professor of government and legal studies at Bowdoin College, said in a place like Oxford County, "unenrolled" doesn't necessarily mean "swing" voter.
"Voters might feel, 'Well I'm not really interested in formally associating with one of the two parties,' but that doesn't mean they don't hold a set of ideological views," Franz explained Tuesday.
The answer to which tactic will prevail, Bryant's or the Maine GOP, will have to wait until November.