Your Vote 2026

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.

Dan Kleban is the eighth Democrat to enter the race, although it's unclear how many of them will remain in the contest if Gov. Janet Mills enters the race. His introduction video focuses on his personal story and efforts to build one of the largest breweries in the state.

The well-known progressive from Vermont also used the event to boost two Democratic candidates for statewide office in Maine: former Senate President Troy Jackson, who is running for governor, and U.S. Senate hopeful Graham Platner.

Oyster farmer and military veteran Graham Platner and gubernatorial candidate Troy Jackson are expected to speak at the rally in Portland.

Defeating Susan Collins is Graham Platner’s primary goal, but he and his campaign also signaled that they’re gearing up for a potential fight against power brokers in the Democratic National Committee.

Shah, who says he would run as a Democrat, would join a crowded field of nearly 20 candidates. As director of the Maine CDC, he became a household name during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The president's comment on social media came two weeks after the Maine Republican opposed his administration's bill to rescind $9 billion that had already been approved by Congress.

Gov. Janet Mills, a top recruitment target for Democrats, has effectively frozen the field of prospective challengers to Republican U.S. Sen. Susan Collins. Mills says she has no timetable to make a decision.

State Sen. Rick Bennett announced Tuesday that he's unenrolling from the Republican party to run for governor as an independent, an entry that could shake up the 2026 contest.