The Maine Wire
  • News
  • Commentary
  • The Blog
  • About
  • Support the Maine Wire
  • Store
Facebook Twitter Instagram
Trending News
  • Tren De Aragua Leader Killed in U.S. Strike on Venezuelan Gang Compound
  • Sanford Man Arrested After Threatening to Bomb CMP Office Over Customer Service Dispute
  • Canton Teen Arrested After Making Threats with Fake Handgun and Causing Nursing Home Lockdown
  • Legendary Boston Radio GOAT Eddie Andelman, ‘Father of Phantom Gourmet,’ Was 88
  • Trump Arrives in France for G7 Summit After Announcing Framework Agreement to End War in Iran
  • UMaine Professor: ‘Tanking Late Night Ratings For Colbert’s Successor Bodes Ill For CBS’
  • Bear Sightings Send Famous Maine Coastal Beach Town Into Jaws-like Panic
  • Cumberland County Jail Inmate Survives After Apparent Suicide Attempt
Facebook Twitter Instagram
The Maine Wire
Tuesday, June 16
  • News
  • Commentary
  • The Blog
  • About
  • Support the Maine Wire
  • Store
The Maine Wire
Home » News » Blog » Primary Ponderings
Blog

Primary Ponderings

Jonathan ReismanBy Jonathan ReismanNovember 18, 2025Updated:November 18, 2025No Comments3 Mins Read
Facebook Twitter Email LinkedIn Reddit
The Blaine House
Share
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email

Maine will have a host of political primaries next June that should be entertaining,
consequential and interrelated. Turnout and demographic differences across Maine may lead to some June surprises and November drama.

Generational /Succession conflicts are evident across Maine and the nation as a last wave of baby boomers runs against assorted Gen Z’ers, millennials and zoomers. Both parties have significant anti-semitic (or anti-zionist if you prefer to “whitewash” it) sentiment and policy advocacy.

The Democrats have an additional split between “Democratic socialists” (commies) and assorted capitalism apologists, while Republicans have plenty of boneheads promoting 50-year mortgages.

There will be statewide Democratic and Republican primaries for Governor and US Senate, and in both Congressional Districts.

Race for Governor

Democrats: The field includes Hannah Pingree, Shenna Bellows, Angus King III, Troy Jackson (for now), Nirav Shah, Jason Cherry and Kenneth Pinet.

Climatista and Godmother of $.30/kwh electricity Pingree is the presumed favorite, but partisan Secretary of State Bellows’ successful destruction of Voter ID, coupled with ranked choice voting (RCV) and turnout spillover from 2nd CD contests suggests that Hannah’s crowning may be a bit premature.

Republicans: The field includes Ben Midgley, Bobby Charles, David Jones, James Libby, Jonathan Bush, Kenneth Capron, Owen McCarthy, Steven Sheppard and Robert Wessels. Garrett Mason has registered an exploratory committee as well.

I’d make Bobby Charles a very slight favorite, but RCV and Republican RCV antipathy make for a very cloudy crystal ball.

Independents: Four independents are expected on the ballot in November- Rick Bennett,
Alexander Murchison, John Glowa and Ed Crockett. I don’t expect any of them to have much impact, though Republican State Senator Bennett’s embrace of climatista crappola may compete with Hannah’s nonsense, which should make any sane Republican look better-although the legacy press will most assuredly obscure any climate policy accountability.

Race for the U.S. Senate

Republicans- Senator Collins has not drawn a serious primary challenger to my knowledge.

Democrats- Graham Platner and Janet Mills are in a commie vs. geezer cage match. Maine’s legacy press will be hard pressed to cover this contest with any modicum of neutrality or fairness. To them, Collins is a Trump compromised Republican/capitalism apologist who must be defeated.

Platner is young and charismatic, while Mills is not. Antisemitic Nazi sympathies aren’t a problem for either the left wing of the Democrats or the Tucker Carlson/Fuentes wing of the Republicans. I expect Platner and his merry band of antisemitic socialist freedom assassins to defeat and humiliate Janet Mills and to kick off the nastiest Senate race Maine has seen in years. I have already sent Senator Collins my first ever campaign contribution.

Race for the Second Congressional District

Republican- Paul LePage looks set to cruise to the nomination, though Maine House Minority Leader Billy Bob Faulkingham recently hinted he might be running for some “higher office” without specifying which.

Democrats- The field includes Matt Dunlap, Jordan Wood and perhaps Troy Jackson, who would appear to have better primary chances in the 2nd CD than for the Blaine House.

Wood might as well have a carpetbagger tattoo.

A strong turnout in this contest could have spillover effects in the statewide gubernatorial and US Senate Democratic primary contests.

Art
Previous ArticleBangor Doctor Threatened in Restaurant Confrontation, Police Probe Continues as Community Outrage Grows
Next Article Maine’s Federal Court Continued Through Government Shutdown, Handed Down Over a Dozen Sentences
Jonathan Reisman

Jon Reisman is an economist and policy analyst who retired from the University of Maine at Machias after 38 years. He resides on Cathance Lake in Cooper, where he is a Selectman and a Statler and Waldorf intern. Mr. Reisman’s views are his own. All columns are reprinted with permission of the Machias Valley News Observer.

Latest News

Trump Arrives in France for G7 Summit After Announcing Framework Agreement to End War in Iran

June 15, 2026

Maine’s Ranked-Choice Voting Delays Leave Key Primary Races Undecided Nearly a Week After Election Day

June 15, 2026

Oil Prices Fall as Iran War Winds Down, Offering Hope for Relief at the Pump

June 15, 2026

Comments are closed.

Recent News

Tren De Aragua Leader Killed in U.S. Strike on Venezuelan Gang Compound

June 15, 2026

Sanford Man Arrested After Threatening to Bomb CMP Office Over Customer Service Dispute

June 15, 2026

Canton Teen Arrested After Making Threats with Fake Handgun and Causing Nursing Home Lockdown

June 15, 2026

Legendary Boston Radio GOAT Eddie Andelman, ‘Father of Phantom Gourmet,’ Was 88

June 15, 2026

Trump Arrives in France for G7 Summit After Announcing Framework Agreement to End War in Iran

June 15, 2026
Newsletter

News

  • News
  • Campaigns & Elections
  • Opinion & Commentary
  • Media Watch
  • Education
  • Media

Maine Wire

  • About the Maine Wire
  • Advertising
  • Contact Us
  • Submit Commentary
  • Complaints
  • Maine Policy Institute

Resources

  • Maine Legislature
  • Legislation Finder
  • Get the Newsletter
  • Maine Wire TV

Facebook Twitter Instagram Steam RSS
  • Post Office Box 7829, Portland, Maine 04112

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.