I like Bellows, would be great to see her become governor. Not sure how she'll fare in a contested primary, but at least with what I know she's the candidate I like the most.
Some people might hold her 2014 defeat to Collins against her, but considering how the year turned out and that she was very new to politics at the time I don't see it as a mark against her.
Collins herself flopped in her first bid for elected office, that being a three way race for governor in 1994, in which Angus King came out on top. Two years later she ran an improved campaign to replace Sen. William Cohen, for whom she had worked.
I didn’t hold her 2014 loss against her. I held it against all the commenters who talked her up tbh. Which, I can be rigid about races that look hopeless but I look too hard the numbers, which is how losing becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Actually, I’m rooting for her even more bc of that loss. She went for it when few wanted to. That is one of my top qualities for candidates - they’re not afraid to go big when going home is almost guaranteed. Means they’re running for all the right reasons.
Well said. If we’re serious about a 50-state strategy, it means NEVER leaving any race unchallenged – and that means having candidates who are willing to run and fight their darnedest against every hard odds.
Bellows did challenge Susan Collins in her Senate race back in 2014 but that was a lost cause as Collins back then didn’t have the vulnerabilities as an incumbent.
Bellows I think will have it easier in the gubernatorial race as she won’t have Collins as a GOP challenger to deal with.
I do think Janet Mills would be a strong candidate against Susan Collins. Although I wish she was younger, Mills has at least one good Senate term in her.
Thankfully should Mills run and defeat Collins in 2026, she'll be up in a Presidential Election year next time, making it easier for us to put up a candidate that year.
Where is Mills from? It will be important for any Democratic candidate not to be from or associated with Portland. Someone from the 2nd Congressional District would be very desirable, I think especially someone from a city like Bangor or some small town or rural area that's not a coastal resort.
Farmington is at the heart of Franklin County, which is part of Maine’s 2nd Congressional District. Although there are Blue spots in ME-02, the district is quite Red. It’s currently represented by Jared Golden, but Trump won here.
Janet Mills has broad credibility and is definitely not seen as part of some coastal elite.
I don't believe being from Portland is a big issue in Maine. Candidates just need to appear authentic. Which is true regardless of where their home is.
Something like 40% of the state lives in the Portland metro area. Angus King lives in Brunswick, which is in the metro area and about 30 minutes from Portland proper.
The thing is, Portland is the Democratic base, so if you want to appeal to swing voters, it would presumably be beneficial not to be too closely associated with Portland. King has the cachet of being an independent, which sets him apart.
Last year, before the election, I was on a group call with Angus King. I asked him whether he supported getting rid of the filibuster, at least for voting rights and abortion. He was against, but impressed me with a very thoughtful answer why he had moved from Yes to No.
I agree that he's real, but I don't get how you'd be impressed with a thoughtful answer on why undemocratic means should be usable in the Senate to sustain forced birth and discrimination against voters, if I understand you correctly.
Naturally he was strongly in favor of getting rid of forced birth, voter discrimination and suppression! No surprise there. Angus King’s point was how we would risk it being used against us when the shoe is on the other foot (if I have the idiom right). His answer was longer than that, but this was at the core of it.
People can appeal to swing voters regardless of where they are from. This isn't like NY where everyone outside of NYC hates NYC and erroneously thinks they are funding the city when it's actually the other way around. Portland is just Portland.
It's also not like ideological extremes are inherently disqualifying in Maine, as we can see by LePage being elected. Certainly we'd have better odds if we had a bog-standard democrat, and even better than that with a moderate one, but that doesn't mean the candidate has to come from outside Portland.
And there's also value in keeping your base on board. I think regional factors will largely be a wash in this type of state.
Your remarks about a lack of regional animosity are noted though different from what some other folks have stated on these boards before, but the fact that a Republican extremist was able to win twice is no kind of evidence that really leftist Democrats can win state-wide.
We have a candidate for Governor of Maine! https://wgme.com/news/local/shenna-bellows-announces-run-for-maine-governor-president-donald-trump-ballot-case-election-democrats
Had some trouble with your link. Here’s that news on Maine’s NPR:
https://www.mainepublic.org/politics/2025-03-26/secretary-of-state-shenna-bellows-announces-campaign-for-maine-governor
I like Bellows, would be great to see her become governor. Not sure how she'll fare in a contested primary, but at least with what I know she's the candidate I like the most.
Some people might hold her 2014 defeat to Collins against her, but considering how the year turned out and that she was very new to politics at the time I don't see it as a mark against her.
Collins herself flopped in her first bid for elected office, that being a three way race for governor in 1994, in which Angus King came out on top. Two years later she ran an improved campaign to replace Sen. William Cohen, for whom she had worked.
He was so much better than her, a true moderate!
I didn’t hold her 2014 loss against her. I held it against all the commenters who talked her up tbh. Which, I can be rigid about races that look hopeless but I look too hard the numbers, which is how losing becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Actually, I’m rooting for her even more bc of that loss. She went for it when few wanted to. That is one of my top qualities for candidates - they’re not afraid to go big when going home is almost guaranteed. Means they’re running for all the right reasons.
Well said. If we’re serious about a 50-state strategy, it means NEVER leaving any race unchallenged – and that means having candidates who are willing to run and fight their darnedest against every hard odds.
Would be nice to have a candidate for senate.
Maybe Bellows entering might make Troy Jackson look at the Senate race as well.
Bellows did challenge Susan Collins in her Senate race back in 2014 but that was a lost cause as Collins back then didn’t have the vulnerabilities as an incumbent.
Bellows I think will have it easier in the gubernatorial race as she won’t have Collins as a GOP challenger to deal with.
I'm curious who will be the ME Senate challenger to Collins. Crossing my fingers for outgoing governor Janet Mills.
Mills should paint herself as a fighter (which she is), while smearing Collins as an enabler of Elon Musk and FDJT's disastrous agenda (also true).
I do think Janet Mills would be a strong candidate against Susan Collins. Although I wish she was younger, Mills has at least one good Senate term in her.
Any polling of this match-up?
Thankfully should Mills run and defeat Collins in 2026, she'll be up in a Presidential Election year next time, making it easier for us to put up a candidate that year.
Troy Jackson would be perfect. But he apparently has his sights on the governorship.
Where is Mills from? It will be important for any Democratic candidate not to be from or associated with Portland. Someone from the 2nd Congressional District would be very desirable, I think especially someone from a city like Bangor or some small town or rural area that's not a coastal resort.
She has deep roots in Farmington (in the 2nd District).
Farmington is at the heart of Franklin County, which is part of Maine’s 2nd Congressional District. Although there are Blue spots in ME-02, the district is quite Red. It’s currently represented by Jared Golden, but Trump won here.
Janet Mills has broad credibility and is definitely not seen as part of some coastal elite.
I don't believe being from Portland is a big issue in Maine. Candidates just need to appear authentic. Which is true regardless of where their home is.
Something like 40% of the state lives in the Portland metro area. Angus King lives in Brunswick, which is in the metro area and about 30 minutes from Portland proper.
The thing is, Portland is the Democratic base, so if you want to appeal to swing voters, it would presumably be beneficial not to be too closely associated with Portland. King has the cachet of being an independent, which sets him apart.
Last year, before the election, I was on a group call with Angus King. I asked him whether he supported getting rid of the filibuster, at least for voting rights and abortion. He was against, but impressed me with a very thoughtful answer why he had moved from Yes to No.
I like the guy. Totally real.
I agree that he's real, but I don't get how you'd be impressed with a thoughtful answer on why undemocratic means should be usable in the Senate to sustain forced birth and discrimination against voters, if I understand you correctly.
Naturally he was strongly in favor of getting rid of forced birth, voter discrimination and suppression! No surprise there. Angus King’s point was how we would risk it being used against us when the shoe is on the other foot (if I have the idiom right). His answer was longer than that, but this was at the core of it.
Which is what every other Democrat with his position would say.
People can appeal to swing voters regardless of where they are from. This isn't like NY where everyone outside of NYC hates NYC and erroneously thinks they are funding the city when it's actually the other way around. Portland is just Portland.
It's also not like ideological extremes are inherently disqualifying in Maine, as we can see by LePage being elected. Certainly we'd have better odds if we had a bog-standard democrat, and even better than that with a moderate one, but that doesn't mean the candidate has to come from outside Portland.
And there's also value in keeping your base on board. I think regional factors will largely be a wash in this type of state.
Your remarks about a lack of regional animosity are noted though different from what some other folks have stated on these boards before, but the fact that a Republican extremist was able to win twice is no kind of evidence that really leftist Democrats can win state-wide.