Now What (Part 2)?

What's next in the new world of the Senate race?

Dear Friends,

I was minutes away from sending out a Maine Matters on Monday when the news broke about Graham Platner and everything changed. This newsletter is an attempt to update people as to how things stand and what may happen over the next crucial three weeks.

First, it seems to be a foregone conclusion that Platner will drop out. He has lost too many big-name endorsements, and everything I’ve seen among his grassroots supporters indicates many of them are already moving on. So what happens next?

First, Platner must formally withdraw by the July 13 deadline before the Maine Democratic Party will be free to replace him on the ballot. In selecting a new candidate, the party has a few choices, ranging from deciding it on their own to holding a new primary, a convention, or caucuses. The first is unlikely; any hint of backroom dealing would be a disaster, echoing as it would the ill-fated Biden/Harris decision. However, any of the other options will require very efficient planning to pull off before the July 27 deadline required to get on the state ballot.

Troy Jackson Has Early Traction

Among those whose names have been raised as possible candidates, Troy Jackson seems to have the most traction right now. He was the first Democrat to file the necessary papers with the Federal Elections Committee, and his supporters have already launched a “Draft Troy for Senate” petition. Jackson, a logger and former Maine Senate president, was endorsed by Platner in his gubernatorial campaign, where he finished with 31% of the vote. He has campaigned with Platner, shares his progressive values, and has been endorsed by labor unions and Sen. Bernie Sanders.

He also appears to have the support of many of Platner’s prodigious volunteer army. Nathan Bernard, who writes for The Maine Morning Star, spoke with numerous volunteers to get a sense of where Platner’s base was headed. They were bitterly disappointed, he reported on Drop Site, but “[o]verwhelmingly, his supporters are ready to move on from Platner while remaining emboldened to continue their work building the grassroots movement that he jump-started.” Here’s a typical response from one volunteer:

Patrick Reis, 29, a volunteer from Portland, described himself to Drop Site as a “hardcore Platner supporter” who has been working with the campaign since the first town hall….Reis said Platner “has to drop out immediately,” adding that his “personal pick” for a replacement would also be Troy Jackson, “as he is very similar politically to Platner, which has shown to be very popular.” Regardless of the nominee, he will “absolutely” continue volunteering.

Bernard cited a recent poll of 405 likely voters that found Jackson with a 5-point lead over Collins.

Other Candidates

Paige Loud, a social worker with no previous political experience, has also filed papers with the FEC. Loud finished a distant fourth in the primary for the Second District House seat.

A number of others have signaled interest in running but have not officially declared:

• Shenna Bellows. Bellows, Maine’s current Secretary of State, finished fourth in the Democratic gubernatorial primary race with 21% of the vote. She ran against Susan Collins in 2014 and lost by a nearly 2-1 margin.

• Nirav Shah. Another gubernatorial candidate, Maine’s former public health chief and candidate for governor, Shah finished first in the first round of voting with 27% of the vote but lost out to Hannah Pingree after ranked choice counting.

• Valli Geiger. Geiger is a ME Rep and former mayor of Rockland. A registered nurse, she has been one of Platner’s staunchest defenders. She told The New York Times today she is in conversations about joining the race.

• Dan Kleban. Kleban, the co-founder of the Maine Beer Co., ran a brief campaign for the Senate last fall but quickly withdrew and endorsed Janet Mills when she declared.

• David Costello. A Brunswick resident with 30 years of experience in government, Costello finished with 8 % of the Senate primary vote. He ran unsuccessfully against Sen. Angus King in 2024.

• Jordan Wood. Wood is a former staffer for Congresswoman Katie Porter. He initially ran for the Democratic nomination for Senate, then switched to running for Jared Golden’s House seat after Golden announced he would not seek reelection. He finished third with 28.8% of the vote.

What about Janet Mills?

As Platner’s most formidable opponent in the primary run-up, Mills seems an obvious choice. Why hasn’t she stepped forward to re-enter the fray? She paused her campaign due to low polling and fundraising numbers, but when the New York Times story first broke about Platner’s questionable dating life, she announced that her name was “still on the [primary] ballot.” She ended up with 20% of the vote. But she has refused to answer press inquiries about rejoining the race.

So that’s where we stand as of today. We can only hope that we, the voters, and the Democratic Party as a whole remain united and focussed on the goal we all share: denying another term to Susan Collins.

Stay tuned—and keep the faith.

Yours for democracy,

Amy

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TWO ACTIONS

Super PACS are the major source of dark money that is being constantly poured into elections. The first action this week is to push for a limit to contributions to them, paired with a reminder to keep opposing the SAVE Act (as Trump and a few rabid Republicans are ramping up efforts to force it through).

The second action is a letter to Citizens Bank to press them to stop funding ICE detention centers.

1. Call King and Collins about Abolishing Super PACs and the SAVE Act

My name is ____ and I am calling from Maine, zip code ______. I am urging the Senator to support S. 4602 the “Abolish Super PACs Act,” which would place a limit on contributions to Super PACs, effectively ending them. As your constituent, I am sick and tired of the ultra-wealthy trying to buy elections and collecting favors from politicians. I urge you to work to get big money out of politics once and for all!

Secondly, please oppose the Save America Act. Beyond being completely unnecessary, it is a danger to our democracy, and we must not allow it to become law.

Collins’s offices: Portland: (207) 618-5560 -- Lewiston: (207) 784-6969--Biddeford: (207) 283-1101--Caribou: (207) 493-7873 Augusta: (207) 622-8414 -- Washington DC: (202) 224-2523

King’s offices: (202) 224-5344; Portland: (207) 245-1565

2. Write to Citizens Bank to Stop Funding Detention Centers

Two private prison companies with long records of alleged human rights abuses, CoreCivic and The GEO Group, operate more than half of ICE’s roughly 60,000 detention beds. Citizens provides them with the money they need to conduct business. “De-ICE Citizens Bank” is asking that we pressure the NY branch by writing to the managing director, Scott Aleali, at scott.aleali@citizensprivatebank.com.

Suggested script (please personalize, e.g., include if you have ever used Citizens Bank here in Maine)

“Dear Mr. Aleali,

I am writing to you to express my opposition to Citizens’ support of CoreCivic and GEO Group. These two companies face extensive allegations of human rights abuses and are at the center of a detention system that has held thousands of children, including hundreds beyond court-prescribed limits. Just last week, New Jersey sued GEO for refusing to allow the state access to Delaney Hall to investigate allegations of medical neglect and unsanitary conditions. People are paying attention—and Citizens has many customers like me in Maine. If Citizens continues to fund CoreCivic and GEO Group, the bank will lose its reputation as well as tens of thousands of customers.

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ONGOING RALLIES AND EVENTS

There are scores of weekly and special events planned, from South Berwick to Southwest Harbor. Find all of them—and more—at this ActivateMaine calendar, which is searchable by kind of event and by region.

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____RESOURCES____

ICE RESISTANCE RESOURCES

• New ICE-tracking resource: LighthouseME.org. “A statewide platform where Mainers can find trusted information, connect to resources, explore the data, and understand the issues communities are facing.” Includes map of recent ICE activity.

• ACLU Know Your Rights as Immigrants

• ACLU Know Your Rights as Protesters

• Report abusive ICE behavior to dedicated Maine Attorney General email: CitizenReporting.OAG@maine.gov.

• Anti-ICE Events This Week. Search the ICE OUT tab for one near you

• The Maine ICE Watch and Resource Hub

• ActivateMaine Ice Action Toolkit

• Ice Watch Hotline in Maine: 207-544-9989. (To report ICE activity.)

• Maine Immigrant Rights Coalition. Great ICE-fighting resources. Hotline operator and verifier training sign-up here.

• Jessica Craven’s ICE Out Boycott List

GENERAL RESOURCES

• ActivateMaine.com. Website with a searchable calendar of statewide protests and community building events. List your events here!

• Maine Congressional phone #s.

  1. Sen. Collins: Portland: (207) 618-5560 -- Lewiston: (207) 784-6969--Biddeford: (207) 283-1101--Caribou: (207) 493-7873 Augusta: (207) 622-8414 -- Washington DC: (202) 224-2523

  2. Sen. King: (202) 224-5344; Portland: (207) 245-1565

  3. Rep. Pingree: (202) 225-6116; Portland: (207) 774-5019

  4. Rep. Golden: (202) 225-6306; Maine: (207) 241-6767

• RESISTBOT. Resistbot, a free app, is a quick and easy way for people who prefer to write to elected officials. By simply by texting “resist” to 50409 you can add your name to pre-written letters that will be delivered to them.

• Other Congressional Phone #s: Find your Rep here. Find your Senator here.

• 5calls.org Great app for helping make those 5 calls a day. Does all the heavy lifting.

• How To Write and Submit a Letter to the Editor

• Find a Group Near You: a listing of the grassroots resistance groups in Maine.

• Find a Protest Near You: listing of protests held regularly in Maine.

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Note to All Readers

Maine Matters will always be available as a free resource. Clicking the payment option allows you the choice to pay a subscription fee. I use a portion of those fees to support independent news outlets and journalists, groups that are engaged in the Resistance movement, and those helping our immigrant communities.

My Background

While I am best known in Maine as a children’s book author, I began my writing career as a reporter and editor of a small town newspaper. I have worked as a writer, editor, and freelance journalist for many years, in publications ranging from the Maine Sunday Telegram to the New Yorker. I was the Regional Co-Coordinator for Swing Left Maine in 2020 and founded the voter registration group, SoME VoTe, in 2022. I live in Portland and Vinalhaven.

The Purpose of Maine Matters

Maine Matters is a weekly round-up of resistance efforts in Maine, alerts about opportunities to protect democracy, and updates on the national political scene as it affects Maine.

As always, share this newsletter widely. And thank you for doing your part for democracy.