Folks, I almost spilled my coffee reading about the Maine Democrats’ debate to replace Graham Platner as their Senate nominee. Eight candidates showed up to pitch themselves as the best person to take on Republican Sen. Susan Collins, and let me tell you, it was a wild ride. The first hour featured four candidates who were on the primary ballot in different races this year, and while they all lost, they each managed to get at least 20% of the vote in their contests. Not bad, I suppose.
The candidates were a mixed bag, with some having more impressive credentials than others. Former public health official Nirav Shah pointed to his performance in the gubernatorial primary, where he earned the most first-place votes but finished second once ranked-choice votes were tabulated. Former Maine Senate President Troy Jackson touted his state-level accomplishments, while Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows highlighted her attempt to disqualify President Donald Trump from the 2024 ballot. Former Capitol Hill staffer Jordan Wood said he’d be best able to separate himself politically from Platner.
The second hour of the debate was like an undercard, with four lesser-known candidates trying to break through in the abbreviated race. One of them, Dan Kleban, the Maine Beer Company founder, last year entered the Senate race but ended his campaign after Democratic Gov. Janet Mills jumped in with the party establishment’s support. Mills would ultimately suspend her campaign in April as she trailed Platner in the polls. Kleban said, “I think people are sick and tired of career politicians,” as he sought to vault into the top tier of Democrats in the race.
The debate was a bit of a mess, with the candidates struggling to replicate the political skills that allowed Platner to emerge as a viral sensation and poll neck-and-neck with Collins before he ended his campaign. None of the candidates could really match Platner’s charisma, and their delivery was often one-note or halting. However, they all eagerly embraced some of Platner’s political positions, including Medicare for All and abolishing US Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The candidates also took shots at ICE, with Shah saying it should be abolished and Bellows saying she wanted ICE out of Maine. Wood said ICE agents should be banned from wearing masks and should be required to display identification and wear body cameras. Jackson said ICE “is not law enforcement” and that it’s a “rogue agency” that gives the country “nothing but heartache and racism.”
The debate did little to draw out differences among the candidates, with all of them training their criticism toward Collins and Trump rather than each other. Shah had the most polished delivery, and the most unique material, chiding Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth as “obsessed with testosterone levels of troops” rather than focused on the challenges of drones and artificial intelligence.
In the end, it’s clear that the Maine Democrats have a tough road ahead of them if they want to take down Collins. The candidates will have another chance to make their cases on July 23, when CNN will host a debate in partnership with the Bangor Daily News. I’ll be watching with bated breath, folks, and maybe a few cups of coffee to keep me awake. After all, as they say, “you can’t make this stuff up” – and I’m not even going to try. The whole thing is just too entertaining, and I’m happy to just sit back and watch the show. Bless their hearts, indeed!
Armchair patriot. Believes in the free market, cold beer, and that there’s always a guy named George behind every CNN segment.
Former remote-throwing champion turned #1 couch commentator on liberal panic in the media. Born in Texas (or so his mug says), he earned a degree in Fake Newsology & Beer Philosophy from YouTube University.
