The Race Heats Up

From protest-packed events to insurgent candidates, Maine’s 2026 races are already shaking up the political scene.

Splashy launch: Graham Platner, the Sullivan oysterman and Marine veteran, entered the 2026 Senate race. He burst on the scene with a New York Times rollout, a viral campaign video, and nearly 500 people tuning in to his kickoff livestream.
Labor & progressive backing: Encouraged by unions and staffed with advisers linked to Sen. John Fetterman, Platner’s campaign leans heavily into populist, working-class themes.
Message & style: His gravelly voice, kettlebell workout, and Sanders-style rhetoric against billionaires and establishment politicians gave his launch video strong reviews and millions of plays online.
Breaking party molds: Platner openly criticized Democratic leaders and Gov. Janet Mills, warning that repeating past candidate choices will keep Collins unbeatable.
Progressive edge: He has been outspoken against Israel’s war in Gaza, calling it genocide which is an unusual stance among mainstream Democrats.

Maine’s Political Cycles: The state tends to shift power every eight years, with LePage’s GOP win in 2010 and Mills’ Democratic wave in 2018.
Economic Pessimism Rising: 45% of Mainers now expect their household to be worse off in a year, a gloomier outlook than during the Great Recession.
Sharp Partisan Divide: While 58% of Republicans foresee improvement, 71% of Democrats predict decline.
Leaders Under Pressure: Mills holds stronger approval than past governors at their lows, but both she and Sen. Susan Collins face rising discontent.
What’s Next for the GOP?: Republicans may gain ground if they can field a standout gubernatorial candidate with bold economic solutions, despite Trump’s drag in Maine.

GOP governor’s race: Bobby Charles is drawing attention with ads attacking Gov. Janet Mills and others. Meanwhile health tech entrepreneur Jonathan Bush is cautiously testing the waters with issue ads under his nonprofit.
Democratic efforts: Angus King III is leveraging his family name with small-donor ads, and Troy Jackson is using self-shot ads emphasizing working-class advocacy.
Senate race shaping up: Collins is running ads to shore up her base, particularly on Chinese-linked marijuana grows. Democrat Jordan Wood is flooding social platforms with fundraising ads.
What’s next: Charles is the most visible GOP candidate now, but bigger names are still standing by that will greatly reshape the race.

Nirav Shah considers a 2026 run: The former Maine CDC director and current U.S. CDC official told reporters he’s weighing a Democratic bid for governor, citing a desire to serve Maine.
Background and career: A doctor and lawyer, Shah led Illinois’ public health agency before coming to Maine. During COVID-19 briefings, he became a household name and earned strong support on the left, but also sharp criticism from the right.
Strengths and challenges: Shah left with goodwill after Maine posted some of the nation’s best pandemic outcomes. However, his ties to restrictions and limited history in state politics could be liabilities.
Political dynamics: Gov. Janet Mills has informally backed Hannah Pingree. Meanwhile, other seasoned Democrats like Shenna Bellows and Troy Jackson are in the mix leaving Shah as an outsider with little party infrastructure.
Outlook: Party strategists are skeptical, comparing him to past accomplished Mainers who failed to translate résumés into electoral success.

Labor Day rally: Sen. Bernie Sanders will headline an event in Portland alongside former Maine Senate President Troy Jackson, now a gubernatorial candidate, and Senate hopeful Graham Platner, signaling a progressive alliance.
Shared roots: Jackson, a longtime Sanders ally, and Platner, who has hired Sanders-linked operatives, are both running from the labor wing of the Democratic Party.
Early joint efforts: Beyond Portland, the duo will appear together at a Belmont farm event promoting “working Mainers”, an unusually early partnership in the election cycle.
Mills factor: The tandem indirectly challenges Gov. Janet Mills, the national party’s preferred Senate candidate, with Platner pushing for new faces and Jackson frequently clashing with her.
Shifting dynamics: Their rise threatens activist Jordan Wood’s foothold in the Senate race and underscores how alliances — Jackson & Platner, Shah & Wood, Mills & Pingree — are shaping the Democratic field.

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