Max Linn, who ran twice for U.S. Senate in Maine, has died. Linn drew headlines for his unconventional style but was never able to translate attention into popular support.
An attorney for Linn told the Bangor Daily News on Monday that the 62-year-old died of an apparent heart attack over the weekend. A financial planner, Linn entered Maine's political scene three years ago after moving to Bar Harbor from Florida.
Linn failed to qualify for the 2018 Republican primary because of fraudulent signatures on his ballot petitions. He then finished fourth out of four candidates in last year's race won by Republican Sen. Susan Collins. But Linn often drew attention for his debate antics.
"For the time being, I plan to answer all of these questions as I see fit,” Linn said during a September 2020 debate hosted by the Portland Press Herald, the Bangor Daily News and News Center Maine. “So I am going to put your question aside because I have a lot of bombshells that I want to announce tonight and I'll just get right to it.”
During that debate, Linn repeatedly replied "request denied" when moderators pressed him to answer policy questions. In another televised debate, he cut up face masks while on stage.
Linn was also a vocal supporter of former President Donald Trump and even attended the pro-Trump rally in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6, posting a picture of himself on Facebook saying he had "a great time." Two days later, however, he denied participating in the deadly attacks on the Capitol that sought to overturn the results of the 2020 election.
