The Maine Dem Senate Debate Could Be Summed Up in Seven Words

The first debate among Maine Democrats vying to replace Graham Platner on the ballot took place last night, hosted by News Center Maine, an NBC News affiliate. It was chaotic. It can be summed up in seven words: congratulations on your reelection, Sen. Susan Collins. If you’re in that camp, you’re smiling. If you’re the National Republican Senate Committee, you had a good night. What the hell did we watch last night?

MODERATOR: What experience do you have in defense and national security?

KLEBAN: President Trump...

MODERATOR: The question was "what is your experience?"

KLEBAN: Well I wasn't in the military pic.twitter.com/glktL0LYZC
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) July 17, 2026

To start, the idea that Collins was cast as a Trump lackey or a fascist was revealed to be hilariously wrong last night. She’s moderate and personable, and her record makes it hard to definitively label Ms. Collins. When The New York Times politely says that last night was brutal for Maine Democrats because the only issue they managed to disagree on was daylight saving time, you know it was bad. The candidates, a motley crew of losers, were a healthy helping of milquetoast—they didn’t know anything:

The debate’s first hour included four leading candidates with something notable in common: They all recently lost Democratic primaries for higher office in the state.
Halting answers. Convoluted responses and stilted deliveries. Former State Senator Troy Jackson, Secretary of State Shenna Bellows and Jordan Wood, a former congressional aide, all struggled to match the forceful message and rhetorical prowess of Mr. Platner, whose rallies electrified voters over the last year.
Dr. Nirav Shah, the fourth candidate onstage — who, like Mr. Jackson and Ms. Bellows, ran and lost in the primary for governor this year — seemed to benefit from his experience as a top public health official at the federal level and in Maine. He was the face of the state’s coronavirus response.
On Thursday, he offered the clearest responses to the moderators’ answers. Even so, the moderators twice clarified his assertions related to Ms. Collins. In one instance, Dr. Shah suggested that she had been a rubber stamp for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth — whose confirmation, a moderator noted, Ms. Collins had in fact opposed.
Dr. Shah also exhibited the most visible anger and emotion about the recent killing of Joan Sebastian Guerrero, who was shot to death by a federal immigration agent on Monday in Biddeford, Maine.
[…]
The candidates took turns assailing Ms. Collins for siding with President Trump on various issues, portraying her as out of touch with Democratic-leaning Maine.
But at times, her voting record seemed to trip up the Democrats.
Discussing Mr. Trump’s decision to order a military operation that captured the Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, Ms. Bellows said, “What Susan Collins has failed to stop is a completely unstable foreign policy.”
Phil Hirschkorn, a moderator, said, “Collins did vote for a war powers resolution to limit what Trump could do in Venezuela in January, right?”
Ms. Bellows replied, “Forgive me.”
“A week ago I was on vacation,” she explained, adding that after her run for governor, she did not expect to pivot to a run for Senate. “When I need to know the facts, I will. I’ll do my homework.”

Maine debate commentator torches the Democrat candidates for their lukewarm personalities.

"When it comes to charisma Platner had a lot of advantages... I don't think that any of those people that we saw just now have that card to play." pic.twitter.com/AELic1y9S9
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) July 17, 2026

The Times said they criticized Immigration and Customs Enforcement because that’s what Democrats do, and they supported Platner’s agenda—just not the Nazi stuff and rape allegations. Platner had to drop out after Jenny Racicot claimed he attacked her in 2021; a story everyone knew was inevitable.

I mean, this line also takes the cake: “I believe they called it pork bellying by cutting out the pork belly from all the bills, sure that would save a lot of money as well…”

There will be another debate on July 22, hosted by Maine’s Total Coverage on WMTW8, an ABC affiliate, at 8 PM. The convention, where 600 or so delegates will officially decide who will replace Platner, will be held on July 25.

And while things are looking excellent for Republicans in Maine right now, we have trouble brewing in Alaska’s Senate race.

Editor's Note: Do you enjoy Townhall's conservative reporting that takes on the radical left and woke media? Support our work so that we can continue to bring you the truth.

Join Townhall VIP and use promo code FIGHT to receive 60% off your membership.