Born and raised in Bath, Maine—the "City of Ships"—I now live in Brooklyn, but Maine remains in my blood. I was excited to see Graham Platner, a U.S. veteran and oyster farmer, rise from obscurity to challenge Senator Susan Collins. He seemed the perfect progressive outsider: plainspoken, refreshing, and young. I believed he could break Collins's grip on a seat she pledged to serve only two terms back in 1996, when I was a junior at Morse High School.
Collins has been a moderate in name only, steadfastly supporting Trump's policies that have hurt Maine families. I thought voters were finally seeing through her "but I'm a moderate" act. She never cast the deciding "no" vote on Trump-backed legislation. Then Platner's true colors emerged. His words and alleged actions revealed a narcissist, not a phenom, and he blamed everyone but himself in a Trump-like fashion. His withdrawal was a bullet dodged.
Now Maine Democrats have a big job with little time. The party's transparent process for selecting a replacement is welcome. As someone deeply invested in Maine's future, I trust it will give all candidates a fair chance. But there's a key lesson: national Democrats should stay out until the general election. Unless you're a registered Maine voter, you have no place meddling.
Mainers are proud and wary of outsiders. Anyone not born in Maine is "from away." Interference from national groups, even well-intentioned, could backfire and tank a candidate. The slightest whiff of outsider influence could doom our chances against Collins, even though she's more beatable than ever.
Consider this: Platner won more votes than any Democrat in a Maine Senate primary ever. His supporters deserve a voice in choosing his replacement. In 2020, Maine Democrats nominated Sara Gideon, a "from away" candidate, who lost to Collins by 8 points in a state Biden won by 9—a staggering 17-point gap.
Maine voters are smart, with one of the highest turnout rates in the country. We must trust them. There's still time for a vetted candidate to make the case to voters. As Maine Democrats struggle to break through in the first Senate debate, it's clear this isn't our fight yet. We need to let Maine's independent and swing voters decide in November.
So, to all national Democrats: mind your business. This is Maine's primary. The outcome matters to this native Mainer, who has watched Collins destroy my home state my entire adult life. We can't afford six more years of a conservative Republican in Trump's pocket. Let Maine pick the best candidate to unite voters and defeat Collins once and for all.
