ME Dem Senatorial primary 2026 ; Pingree vs Mills vs Golden

[UWS]

Who would win such a bloody Democratic senate primary for 2026 to challenge Collins?

[TML]

One important factor to consider is whether or not the DSCC decides to coronate one particular candidate early on in the primary season, as they routinely did from 2006-2020. If that happens, the coronated candidate will be heavily favored to win the primary (I personally hope this doesn't happen in this race, since past candidates coronated by the DSCC have all failed to dislodge Collins.).

[JMT]

If this primary matchup occurred, I think Mills wins. But more realistically, I think Mills is the only one of this group that runs (and will end up being the nominee). Golden will go for Governor, and Pingree will run for reelection.

[President Johnson]

I don't see Mills running, she' close to 80 in 2026.

I suppose it will be Golden. And I hope Susie is going to retire, which makes a pickup way more likely. The path to a majority in 2028 extremely small and Democrats can't afford to waste any opportunity. Casey's loss this year was really a disaster.

[Spectator]

I suspect Mills is the only one in the group that actually runs, which I think is a huge miscalculation on Golden’s part since the Dems would coronate him against Collins if he wanted it.

[John Fettercuck]

I doubt Golden would ever run against Collins. Too cordial of a relationship. He clears the field in an open race.

My gut says the Republican (Mills) takes it if she runs.

[Fuzzy Bear Stands With S019 And Israel]

Fun Fact:  Maine has not elected a Democrat as Senator since 1988.

[Schumer can go f*** himself!]

Fun Fact:  Maine has not elected a Democrat as Senator since 1988.

Angus King is functionally a Democrat

[Fuzzy Bear Stands With S019 And Israel]

Fun Fact:  Maine has not elected a Democrat as Senator since 1988.

Angus King is functionally a Democrat

But he's not run as a Democrat.  And back in 2012 King made noises as to leaving it open as to which caucus he would be a member of. 

I grant you that he's got a voting record that fits into the Democratic caucus fairly well, but Maine voters have not voted "Democratic" for Senate in a long time.  That's a variable.  And it begs the question (A) why King doesn't just become a Democrat and (B) why the Democratic Party in a state that has gone for the Democratic Presidential candidate for the last 32 years would put up with that.

[Schumer can go f*** himself!]

Fun Fact:  Maine has not elected a Democrat as Senator since 1988.

Angus King is functionally a Democrat

But he's not run as a Democrat.  And back in 2012 King made noises as to leaving it open as to which caucus he would be a member of. 

I grant you that he's got a voting record that fits into the Democratic caucus fairly well, but Maine voters have not voted "Democratic" for Senate in a long time.  That's a variable.  And it begs the question (A) why King doesn't just become a Democrat and (B) why the Democratic Party in a state that has gone for the Democratic Presidential candidate for the last 32 years would put up with that.

Because King is incredibly popular and being a faux independent has always been his personal schtick

[Fuzzy Bear Stands With S019 And Israel]

Fun Fact:  Maine has not elected a Democrat as Senator since 1988.

Angus King is functionally a Democrat

But he's not run as a Democrat.  And back in 2012 King made noises as to leaving it open as to which caucus he would be a member of. 

I grant you that he's got a voting record that fits into the Democratic caucus fairly well, but Maine voters have not voted "Democratic" for Senate in a long time.  That's a variable.  And it begs the question (A) why King doesn't just become a Democrat and (B) why the Democratic Party in a state that has gone for the Democratic Presidential candidate for the last 32 years would put up with that.

Because King is incredibly popular and being a faux independent has always been his personal schtick

If I were a partisan Democrat this would not sit well with me.

[Schumer can go f*** himself!]

Fun Fact:  Maine has not elected a Democrat as Senator since 1988.

Angus King is functionally a Democrat

But he's not run as a Democrat.  And back in 2012 King made noises as to leaving it open as to which caucus he would be a member of. 

I grant you that he's got a voting record that fits into the Democratic caucus fairly well, but Maine voters have not voted "Democratic" for Senate in a long time.  That's a variable.  And it begs the question (A) why King doesn't just become a Democrat and (B) why the Democratic Party in a state that has gone for the Democratic Presidential candidate for the last 32 years would put up with that.

Because King is incredibly popular and being a faux independent has always been his personal schtick

If I were a partisan Democrat this would not sit well with me.

Pretty sure there’s not a Democrat under the sun who minds in King’s case

[Fuzzy Bear Stands With S019 And Israel]

Fun Fact:  Maine has not elected a Democrat as Senator since 1988.

Angus King is functionally a Democrat

But he's not run as a Democrat.  And back in 2012 King made noises as to leaving it open as to which caucus he would be a member of. 

I grant you that he's got a voting record that fits into the Democratic caucus fairly well, but Maine voters have not voted "Democratic" for Senate in a long time.  That's a variable.  And it begs the question (A) why King doesn't just become a Democrat and (B) why the Democratic Party in a state that has gone for the Democratic Presidential candidate for the last 32 years would put up with that.

Because King is incredibly popular and being a faux independent has always been his personal schtick

If I were a partisan Democrat this would not sit well with me.

Pretty sure there’s not a Democrat under the sun who minds in King’s case

You show me a Democrat who wishes to run as an "Independent" when he/she can have the Democratic nomination for the asking, and I'll show you the next opportunistic party switch.  Such a candidate is saying, "I want the benefits of your caucus without actually becoming a member of your party!".  There's a double-mindedness in King's case that would trouble me if a Republican did this for whatever reason.

[CentristRepublican]

Fun Fact:  Maine has not elected a Democrat as Senator since 1988.

Angus King is functionally a Democrat

But he's not run as a Democrat.  And back in 2012 King made noises as to leaving it open as to which caucus he would be a member of.  

I grant you that he's got a voting record that fits into the Democratic caucus fairly well, but Maine voters have not voted "Democratic" for Senate in a long time.  That's a variable.  And it begs the question (A) why King doesn't just become a Democrat and (B) why the Democratic Party in a state that has gone for the Democratic Presidential candidate for the last 32 years would put up with that.

Because King is incredibly popular and being a faux independent has always been his personal schtick

If I were a partisan Democrat this would not sit well with me.

Pretty sure there’s not a Democrat under the sun who minds in King’s case

You show me a Democrat who wishes to run as an "Independent" when he/she can have the Democratic nomination for the asking, and I'll show you the next opportunistic party switch.  Such a candidate is saying, "I want the benefits of your caucus without actually becoming a member of your party!".  There's a double-mindedness in King's case that would trouble me if a Republican did this for whatever reason.

It doesn't matter in the slightest because he is de facto a Democrat, much the same way as Bernie Sanders. Not a Jim Jeffords Independent - someone who actually outright switches sides (Jeffords left the GOP and became a Dem-caucusing Independent) - but someone who's been an "Independent" all along. And yet someone who will vote the party line as much as any official Democrat or official Republican does.

You're overthinking this, though fwiw, I do think it would logically make sense for him to just join the Democrats. He really is a partisan Democrat in all but name.

Granted, he had that stunt where he said he may join the GOP if it's the majority party in the Senate, but you'll notice he didn't actually go through with that post-2014 or broach the idea again now that the GOP has reclaimed the Senate. There may have been a time he would genuinely consider joining the GOP, but certainly it's long past.

[John Fettercuck]

I would disagree in my usual Sawx Way - voting down minimum wage increases is not something Democrats do.

Unlike Mills, he at least admits he's not a Democrat, which is respectable.

[GoldenMainer]

Golden and his wife now have 2 young kids so I don't see Golden running for Senate. I see him running for Governor and wanting to be closer to his family.

Mills is a nonstarter. An 80 year old first term senator? What a joke.

Troy Jackson is the play here I would think. From northern Maine, former logger/working class appeal, and Bernie Sanders connections which would help him in a primary here.