Restless Democrats challenge party establishment while trying to loosen Trump's grip on Washington
The two-term governor exited after failing to match an insurgent challenger’s fundraising and momentum, a setback for Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer.
- Democratic Gov. Janet Mills abandoned her Maine Senate campaign on Thursday, unable to generate sufficient fundraising or enthusiasm to compete against Graham Platner, an oyster farmer and political neophyte.
- Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer recruited Mills to lead the party's decades-long quest to defeat Republican Sen. Susan Collins, but Platner's emergence undermined that effort.
- Rank-and-File Democrats are rejecting the party's establishment, with strategist Lis Smith noting voters are "sick of the status quo" following the 2024 losses.
- Bernadette Breslin, spokesperson for the Senate Republicans, claimed Schumer "has officially lost the first battle" in his proxy war against Bernie Sanders.
- Sen. Mallory McMorrow said the party must respond differently to a "MAGA party" landscape, as Republicans hold 53 seats in the Senate where control remains contested.
17 Articles
17 Articles
Restless Democrats challenge party establishment
Graham Platner talked with Becky O’Keefe of Gouldsboro at an Ellsworth cafe in January. Photo by Tristan Spinski.This story was reported by Steve Peoples of the Associated Press and has been republished by The Maine Monitor as part of a content sharing arrangement between the two newsrooms. Maine just sent a blunt message to the Democratic Party’s national leaders. Democratic Gov. Janet Mills was forced to abandon her U.S. Senate campaign on Thu…
Associated Press News
Restless Democrats challenge party establishment while trying to loosen Trump's grip on Washington
Restless Democratic voters are rejecting their party’s establishment. Six months before Election Day, Democratic voters are embracing change, taking a clear risk by picking less established and more polarizing candidates to represent them on the ballot this fall.
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