A blunt Maine politics conversation that stays close to the state-level fight.
John Featherston spends most of the conversation on Maine politics, with Graham Platner, Janet Mills, Susan Collins, and a legislature he sees as deeply dysfunctional.

Charles "Chuck" Ellis
211 episodes listed below
Maine politics, argued from the ground up.
Muddy Waters follows Maine politics from a blunt conservative angle, with Chuck Ellis interviewing candidates, reporters, parents, and local figures. The show is loose and conversational, but its center is practical: who is running, what happened, and what Mainers are being told.
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Muddy Waters is a Maine-centered political interview show with a conservative, anti-establishment lens. Chuck Ellis uses the format to spotlight candidates, reporters, parents, business owners, and people connected to state controversies. The tone is plainspoken and often impatient with mainstream political coverage. It is not built around tight segments or polished argument. Conversations wander through biography, campaign logistics, personal motivation, and the local consequences of statewide decisions. That looseness gives guests space to explain what pushed them into politics or public advocacy. It also means the show often feels like a recorded political conversation more than a produced news program. Recent episodes spend a lot of time on Maine elections. House and Senate candidates describe district races, primary dynamics, campaign organizing, veteran circles, farming backgrounds, small business experience, and the need to turn out volunteers. Recurring conversations with Jon Fetherston of The Maine Wire bring in sharper news analysis, including the Maine Republican gubernatorial debate, Graham Platner, Janet Mills, Susan Collins, legislative dysfunction, fraud allegations, millionaire tax proposals, and rising energy costs. The show keeps pulling national politics back into Maine's pocketbook and civic life. Schools, child welfare, public trust, and local media are recurring pressure points. Heavier episodes address the Lewiston shooting fund controversy and questions from people connected to victims or survivors. The show is openly partisan and often frames institutional failure as something voters must confront directly. It does not pretend to be detached. Its value is in access, repetition, and specificity: local candidates get long introductions, familiar arguments are revisited until the stakes are clear, and stories that matter to conservative Maine audiences are given time to breathe. Listeners looking for balance may find it too pointed. Listeners following Maine politics from the right will find a useful running record of campaigns, grievances, and grassroots organizing.
Made for: For listeners following Maine elections, conservative state politics, local media criticism, and grassroots campaign organizing. It especially fits people who want long-form candidate conversations rather than brief campaign clips.
What sets it apart: Muddy Waters stays unusually local, turning debates, taxes, energy costs, schools, and public controversies back toward what Maine voters may feel directly. Its recurring candidate interviews and Maine Wire conversations make it a running field notebook for conservative state politics.
Where I discuss by myself and with special guests things going on in our political world here in Maine as well as discussing national and at times global issues. I'm not muddying the water but helping you understand how muddy the water is and helping you chart a path forward. charleschuckellis.substack.com
Based on 5 episodes we listened to · September 2026
Chuck Ellis offers a ground-level view of Maine conservative politics through candidate interviews, state-policy discussions, and close attention to civic disputes.
Muddy Waters turns Maine politics into direct, conversational encounters with the people seeking office and those following state government. Chuck Ellis gives candidates room to explain their backgrounds, campaign plans, and reasons for running, while conversations with Jon…
Chuck Ellis can turn a candidate interview into a request for your door-knocking hours.
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Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.
A blunt Maine politics conversation that stays close to the state-level fight.
John Featherston spends most of the conversation on Maine politics, with Graham Platner, Janet Mills, Susan Collins, and a legislature he sees as deeply dysfunctional.
A local campaign introduction that stays grounded in the race and the organizing.
The episode stays close to Nicholas Hamlin and his run for House District 49, which covers West Bath, Georgetown, and nearby towns. Chuck Ellis lets him lay out the basics of the race: why he thinks he can win the primary, how he plans to organize, and how clean elections…
A loose candidate interview that turns work, service, and biography into a political profile.
Ben Porter’s Senate District 23 interview works because it lets his background do most of the talking. Farm roots, fishing-boat work, concrete work, and a 25-year Army career all land as part of the same plainspoken picture, and the host gives him enough room to sound steady…
A blunt Maine accountability conversation about care, funding, and who gets squeezed.
Muddy Waters stays close to home-care neglect and the strain inside Maine's reimbursement rules, with Chuck Ellis keeping the talk local and John Featherston spelling out how thin margins can tempt agencies to cut corners.
A Maine political interview shaped by media distrust, COVID backlash, and Ethan Alcorn's case for running.
Muddy Waters is a Maine political interview that starts with media distrust and stays close to Ethan Alcorn's case for entering the race. Chuck Ellis lets him work through frustration with COVID power, Janet Mills, and the way national politics can crowd out what is happening in…

Astead Herndon reports the 2024 campaign trail, from Iowa evangelicals to America's non-voters





Chuck Ellis opens with John Featherston on Maine politics.
Chuck Ellis opens by setting the frame.
Chuck Ellis presents Muddy Waters as a place where Mainers can hear candidates and local voices directly, without the usual media filter.
This episode features an interview with Jon Fetherston of The Maine Wire discussing his experiences and takeaways from the Maine Republican gubernatorial debate, highlighting the role of alternative media in political coverage.
Host Chuck Ellis discusses the Lewiston shooting with guests Amy Sussman and Destiny Johnson, aiming to uncover the truth and inform Mainers about the incident.
This episode recaps the Maine Republican gubernatorial debate, analyzing key moments and discussions with Aaron Chadbourne.
Host Chuck Ellis interviews Maine Senate candidate Kenny Chinquet about his background and campaign.
Host Chuck Ellis and journalist John Featherston discuss a controversial ad by Maine Governor Janet Mills targeting opponent Graham Plattner.
Host Chuck Ellis interviews Nathan Mihalik, a candidate for a Maine school board, discussing his background and local political issues.
Host Chuck Ellis interviews Republican State Senate candidate Peter Violet about his campaign and Maine political issues.
Host Chuck Ellis interviews Republican candidate Janet Bowden about her campaign for Maine House District 94, discussing local politics and media bias.
Chuck Ellis interviews journalist John Featherston about recent political news and events in Maine.
Host Chuck Ellis interviews campaign manager William Austin about local Maine politics and the Robert Wessels campaign.
Chuck Ellis and John Featherston discuss fraud in Maine and other state political issues.
Host Chuck Ellis interviews congressional candidate Josh Petrovich about his background and reasons for running, aiming to provide unfiltered political insight for Mainers.
Chuck Ellis opens with the familiar Muddy Waters tone: local, plainspoken, and unfiltered.
Host Chuck Ellis interviews Maine Representative Joshua Morris about fighting the radical left in Augusta and critiquing mainstream media.
Host Chuck Ellis interviews former policy advisor Aaron Chadbourne about the Maine gubernatorial race, analyzing candidates' paths to victory.
Host Chuck Ellis interviews school board member Josh Tabor about challenges in Maine school districts and the importance of local political engagement.
This episode features an interview with Jed Rice, a candidate for Maine's House District 50, discussing issues like affordability, education, and energy, while critiquing mainstream media bias.
This episode features an interview with Matt Jacobson discussing Maine's energy crisis and the role of mainstream media in state politics.
This episode features an interview with Hon.
Chuck Ellis opens with a Maine-first case for the show and then sits down with Ethan Alcorn, who is running for office, for a loose interview about why he entered politics.
This episode features an interview with Maine Representative Paul Fleming, discussing his background, motivations for entering politics during a divided time, and the role of faith in action.
Host Chuck Ellis interviews Augusta School Board member Katie McCormick about local political controversies and media narratives.
Host Chuck Ellis interviews a town council candidate from Wyndham, Maine, discussing local politics and the importance of grassroots engagement.
Host Chuck Ellis interviews Anthony McEwen, founder of Fight Coffee, discussing his background and involvement in addressing a challenging issue facing Maine and the world.
Host Chuck Ellis discusses Maine and national politics with guest Forrest Robinson, a writer for The Federalist and The Maine Wire.
Host Chuck Ellis discusses Maine state politics with guest Mason Carson, focusing on conservative activism and local issues.
Host Chuck Ellis interviews Grace Mack, the Turning Point High School field representative for Maine and New Hampshire, about her background and role in conservative activism.
Host Chuck Ellis interviews a Turning Point chapter president about conservative activism in Maine, discussing Charlie Kirk's legacy and strategies to advance conservative agenda.
Host Chuck Ellis interviews Catherine Parker about Maine politics, criticizing mainstream media and institutions while aiming to clarify the political landscape.