Tag: Susan Collins

Maine’s 2026 midterms pose a dilemma for both Republicans and Democrats

~ Randy Seaver ~ Leave a comment

Okay, so now it’s official. Former Gov. Paul LePage (Maine’s own version of Donald Trump) has finally announced that he will seek the CD2 seat, now occupied by Democrat Jared Golden who won his last election in 2024 with a razor-thin majority.

Will Golden try to hold his seat, or maybe buy a couple new flannel shirts and spread his wings to run for governor; or maybe run against the constantly shifting Republican Susan Collins in the upcoming senate race?

Former Governor Paul LePage

Golden — sticking to his principles and ideals — has caused a lot of unease from many of his fellow Democrats because of his failure to always toe the party line.

While CD2 does lean much more right than CD1, Republicans are not guaranteed a victory in the mid-terms and Democrats cannot afford to lose a single Congressional race in their attempts to push back against Trump.

Rep Jared Golden, not afraid to stir things up

What am I saying? LePage is closely identified with Trump, a man whose current poll numbers are not even close to strong. Will this help or hurt LePage in his 2026 bid?

Next: What about current Gov. Janet Mills (D)? She is facing term limits. Does she quietly retire and take up teaching crochet lessons in Farmington or does she eye U.S. Senator Susan Collins’ seat?

Mills has been somewhat vague in saying what her next steps will be.

Speaking of Susan Collins, far right Republicans are none too pleased with the current chair of the Appropriations Committee because she has bucked Trump a few times in recent weeks. How many Democrats will hold their nose and vote for her simply because she is a bankable centrist? But is she actually a moderate Republican? She’ll have to be if she wants to win her sixth consecutive senate race.

Senator Susan Collins

Will the Republicans put up a serious primary challenge to the Queen of Caribou? Only if they are insane. Even the strongest MAGA voter knows — deep down — that Collins has consistently rolled over challengers since 1995.

Back to the governor’s race, please tell me that Democrats have higher hopes than Troy Jackson and someone older and more experienced than Shenna Bellows to run for governor. Statewide, both of them would likely be considered as “too left.”

Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows

And what of the Democrats bench to take on Collins? According to Newsweek, Jordan Wood and Natasha Alcala—have already announced their intention to run against Collins. Who? My dog has better name recognition, and Sasha is a good girl.

Let’s keep watching. Someone please make another batch of popcorn.

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Primary Colors

~ Randy Seaver ~ 6 Comments

empty-pollsAllow me to make a bold prediction.

Voter turnout for Maine’s 2014 Primary Elections on June 10 will be absolutely dismal.

Taxpayers across Maine will spend hundreds of thousands of dollars for an absolute non-event; an utter waste of time and resources, all in the name of a Democratic process that doesn’t work without a contest.

In fact, we will be lucky to see voter participation that exceeds the June 1996 state primary, when only 12 percent of eligible voters bothered to cast a ballot.

Think of it this way, it will be like buying a ticket to watch the Boston Red Sox play the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park.

The winners have already been determined.

Unlike the June 2010 Primary four years ago, the gubernatorial candidates for each political party have already been chosen. If only one Democrat goes to the polls somewhere in Maine, Mike Michaud will clinch his party’s nomination in a landslide.

But in 2010, voters of both parties had lots of choices. There were four candidates seeking the Democratic Party’s nomination, and no fewer than seven candidates seeking the Republican Party’s nomination.

More recently, in 2012, six Republicans and four Democrats fought in the primaries for a chance to fill the shoes of U.S. Senator Olympia Snowe.

This year, Republican Susan Collins has already won her party’s nomination and Shenna Bellows is assured of being the Democratic Party’s sacrificial cow.

But what about the Maine Legislature and the crop of fresh faces ready to head off to Augusta?

Okay, you can stop laughing now.

In fact, you may want to cry because you and all of your neighbors will be funding an entire day of using municipal clerks and voting officials to collect ballots that hardly matter.

Of Maine’s 35 state senate seats, only four will face a primary challenge (three Democratic primaries and one Republican primary)

It’s not much different for the process to fill the 151 chairs in the Maine House of Representatives, where only 19 of the 151 races will see a Primary challenge (8 Democratic primaries and 11 Republican primaries)

In 132 of 151 House Districts in Maine, it doesn’t matter a bit  if you go to the polls on June 10. The races for the Blaine House, the U.S. Senate and the Legislature have been pre-determined.

Please do not disturb the slumber of your municipal clerks or voting officials.