BANGOR, Maine — As Maine Democrats vie to replace Graham Platner in their state’s Senate race, abortion — a key weakness for Republican Sen. Susan Collins — is set to shape the next phase of the contest, which Democrats view as a prime pick-up opportunity.

Collins, whose home state voted for Kamala Harris in the 2024 election, is considered one of the most vulnerable Republican incumbents up for election this year. She has held onto power despite Maine’s blue tilt in large part by branding herself as an independent, and by highlighting her support for healthcare and abortion rights.

  • BigMacHole@thelemmy.club
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    8
    ·
    14 days ago

    Graham Platner’s UNPRECEDENTED rise was Based SOLELY on Worker’s Rights and Taxing the Rich? Perfect! Let’s NOT do That for his Replacement!

    -Democrats!

  • velma@sh.itjust.works
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    4
    ·
    14 days ago

    “Even though Platner fever is at such a swirl right now, I do think it dies down and the race becomes about Collins,” said Molly Murphy, a pollster at Impact Research, a Democrat-aligned firm. “And my gut is that the main frame on her is that she’s supported [Donald] Trump on terrible things, but abortion is a big part of it.”

    Who the fuck believes this? This is more “Trump BAD vote for US” that failed time and time again. FFS.

    • Wren@lemmy.todayOPM
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      3
      ·
      14 days ago

      I truly hope “anyone but the worst” isn’t their strategy again.

      • velma@sh.itjust.works
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        7
        ·
        14 days ago

        More and more the establishment Dems are confirming they’re controlled opposition.

        And it was foolish to put so much hope on Platner with his past. I swear to god, he was allowed to get as far as he did because he was so problematic.

        • Wren@lemmy.todayOPM
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          5
          ·
          edit-2
          13 days ago

          I won’t play down how I identified with his troubled past and how he supposedly turned it around, I wanted to believe he was reformed and therefore understood a greater diversity of people from different backgrounds. I like the idea of someone with that kind of humility.

          There was a lot I didn’t know at the time, though, and I think a lot of people either weren’t aware of (like me) or ignored the enormous black marks in his history.

          So yeah, I think you’re right.

          • velma@sh.itjust.works
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            3
            ·
            14 days ago

            I can’t hold people to task for believing in hope and redemption. I wanted to be wrong about him as well.

            Maaaaybe the potential candidates here can push against this DNC messaging and still rally the voters on bolstering the working class.

            • Wren@lemmy.todayOPM
              link
              fedilink
              English
              arrow-up
              3
              ·
              14 days ago

              Some of the prospects look promising. I just hope the blue shift didn’t get gerrymandered out of existence.

  • Krusty@quokk.au
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    1
    ·
    14 days ago

    The left continues to resist any alleged sexual abusers and the right keeps electing convicted sex offendera…

    Fun.