ME-Senate 2024: Return of the King?

[KaiserDave]

King basically said in 2018 it was his last race. I doubt he goes for it again. Edit: After reading the article it seems that 2018-2022 has made him more optimistic, which I don't blame him for. Maybe he will run...

If he does, I welcome it. He's a good man with a good voting record, his Instagram is run by him and is very pleasant. FF! Maine is such a nice state.

If he doesn't, then the obvious choice (as it should have been for 2020) is Troy Jackson! A tremendous guy. A logger from Fort Kent in the far, far northern reaches of Maine on the Canadian border who endorsed Bernie twice and takes up hard fights for the workers. Would love to see him in the U.S. Senate and would have loved even more to see a delegation with him and Angus King both from 2021 to 2025.

[KaiserDave]

Golden is definitely heterodox, I wouldn't call him a Manchin, definitely not a Sinema, far from a Gottheimer, but he has made some problems. I think he's a lot less right wing than people are saying though. But he's not my choice either.

For those who think he's the only guy who can win, or that he is uniquely strong, any argument for Jared Golden is easily met or exceeded by Troy Jackson.

[KaiserDave]

Golden is NOT running!

On the Democratic side, there would be big dominoes to fall. Some speculated U.S. Rep. Jared Golden of the 2nd District would be a good candidate, even though he told the Bangor Daily News in a recent interview that he is not thinking about any run for Senate in 2024.

bangordailynews.com/2020/11/16/politics/daily-brief/angus-king-appointment-rumor-sparks-too-early-talk-of-maines-political-realignment/

That is not a denial, and means nothing with King's decision not made yet.

[KaiserDave]

Golden is definitely heterodox, I wouldn't call him a Manchin, definitely not a Sinema, far from a Gottheimer, but he has made some problems. He's not my choice either.

For those who think he's the only guy who can win, or that he is uniquely strong, any argument for Jared Golden is easily met or exceeded by Troy Jackson.

Actually, I’d argue he’s well to the right of Gottheimer

Well I wasn't really measuring them on a left-right scale so much as they are very different politicians with very different priorities. Gottheimer is basically a socially liberal center-rightist who just cares about dumping money on his North Jersey already affluent constituents. Golden is a northern Maine populist who combines an enthusiasm for government intervention (protectionism, his strong support for prescription drug reform) with being a deficit hawk and pro-gun. He's also taken some unique positions like being in favor of prisoner voting. Very very different (they also take diametrically opposite positions on SALT). I don't like Golden that much but he's a unique character, and I'd take him over Gottheimer, probably over Sinema too. I also do not want him in the Senate, especially when Troy Jackson is right there.

[KaiserDave]

In any case, Jackson is clearly a strong candidate.

[KaiserDave]

https://twitter.com/kirk_bado/status/1594708607874273280?s=46&t=4qVS8yqqVYww...

[KaiserDave]

https://twitter.com/j_mundry/status/1598349179578994689

[KaiserDave]

I would like to see Tucker Carlson run. Put his money where his mouth is in a low-stakes race that has an outside chance of becoming serious.

An Angus King vs Tucker Carlson race would become very, very humiliating for Tucker very quickly. Bad idea.