AUGUSTA — Independent candidate for governor Rick Bennett is emphasizing his business and government experience in a bid to win over voters before the November election.

Bennett is crisscrossing the state, meeting with voters in halls and taverns. During a Monday stop at Cushnoc Brewing in Augusta, Bennett said he believes Mainers want to get away from the two major political parties.

“Everywhere I go, I hear people tell me, ‘Thank God you’re an independent, they are looking for a fresh voice’, they are looking for a different approach,” he said.

Bennett is a state senator and former Republican representing the Oxford region. He will be on the ballot with Democrat Hannah Pingree and Republican Bobby Charles.

Recent polling indicates that Bennett, a former Maine Senate president, has a lot of ground to make up before Nov. 3. A Fox News poll from August shows Pingree at 49%, Charles at 38% and Bennett at 9%.

In remarks to supporters in Augusta, Bennett said he’s the only candidate in the race with a background as a CEO and as a member of the Maine Legislature.

“I’m running as an independent because Maine’s next chapter cannot be dictated by party bosses in Augusta or Washington D.C. or by the special interests who are literally spending hundreds of millions of dollars right this very second,” he said.

In introducing Bennett, former state Sen. Matt Pouliot, a Republican from Augusta, said he supports him because he’s seen him at work in Augusta.

“Rick always does one thing, which is to put the people first,” Pouliot said. “And that’s not just a campaign slogan of sorts. It’s really true.”

Among his priorities, Bennett named housing and getting a handle on the state budget.

“People just can’t afford to live in this state,” he said. “Too many people are really struggling to meet the basics of life.”