Maine's Political Pulse
The Maine Political Pulse features news and analysis of politics and government by correspondents Steve Mistler and Kevin Miller. Both have extensive experience covering the Maine Legislature, U.S. Congress and state elections for newspapers like the Portland Press Herald and now for Maine Public.
The Pulse is offered as a podcast and a newsletter and is excerpted for broadcast segments during All Things Considered and Morning Edition.
You can subscribe to the newsletter here and you can find the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other streaming services.
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On Tuesday, Maine voters will settle long-running policy debates over voter ID and guns during an off-year election that has been overshadowed by events in DC and primary contests that won't be decided until next year. -
For nearly two months, Graham Platner’s bid for the U.S. Senate was marked by momentum and bravado as the political newcomer drew big crowds to his town halls and he channeled Democratic voters’ hopes for a newer, brasher kind of candidate. During an interview in late September, he said, “I’ll just say, it’s been very surreal.” Reality has arrived over the past week. Now comes a test of Democratic primary voters' risk aversion. -
Proponents of Question 2 argue that the existing law — often referred to as Maine’s yellow flag law — is a failed experiment that was not used to stop a gunman in Lewiston from killing 18 people and injuring and traumatizing countless others in 2023 despite warnings about his deteriorating mental health. -
Gov. Janet Mills ended months of speculation this week by officially entering the Democratic primary to challenge Republican U.S. Sen. Susan Collins next fall. -
The competing narratives about Question 1’s true objectives and potential impacts are perhaps best epitomized by the names of the groups leading the fight on either side: Voter ID for ME and the Save Maine Absentee Voting Coalition.
More from the podcast archives
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Proponents of Question 2 argue that the existing law — often referred to as Maine’s yellow flag law — is a failed experiment that was not used to stop a gunman in Lewiston from killing 18 people and injuring and traumatizing countless others in 2023 despite warnings about his deteriorating mental health. -
The competing narratives about Question 1’s true objectives and potential impacts are perhaps best epitomized by the names of the groups leading the fight on either side: Voter ID for ME and the Save Maine Absentee Voting Coalition.
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There’s a bonafide primary contest among Democrats in the Maine race for the U.S. Senate. And one of the leading contestants, Gov. Janet Mills, isn't even an official candidate yet.