AUGUSTA — State Sen. Rick Bennett, an independent candidate for governor, turned in signatures Wednesday to qualify for the November ballot.

Bennett, a former Republican, said he’s hearing from Mainers that they are tired of partisanship and want a governor who can solve problems.

“I’ve been crisscrossing the state, Fort Kent to Fryeburg, Kittery to Calais and I’ve just got to say it’s been going great,” he said. “I’ve been receiving a heartwarming response really from people all across the political spectrum. They’re just tired of politics as usual.”

Bennett, 62, is one of four independents who have said they plan to run for governor this year. Independents, also called unenrolled candidates, do not compete in party primaries but must get 4,000 signatures by June 1 to qualify for the November ballot. 

Maine has previously elected two independent governors: Jim Longley, who served 1975-79 and Angus King, the now-U.S. senator who served as governor from 1995-2003.

In recent months, Bennett has released policy proposals on housing and energy, among other topics. A former Maine Republican Party chairman, he said he’s interested to see who wins the party primaries on June 9.

As the campaign ramps up toward November, Bennett said he will continue to roll out new proposals. He’s hearing from voters who are finding it difficult to make ends meet, he said.

“Heating oil was a real struggle for Maine families this winter,” he said. “Housing is a terribly difficult problem for a lot of people. The average age of a first-time homebuyer in Maine? 45.”