If one of the takeaways from the 2024 elections is that Democratic voters are looking for fresh candidates to revitalize the party, look no further than to Maine, set to hold one of the top Senate races next year.
Democrats have long sought to knock off Republican Sen. Susan Collins, who has proved tough to unseat in the blue-leaning state, dispatching Democratic elected officials in four of her five Senate races.
But this cycle, as national party figures try to convince Gov. Janet Mills to take on Collins, three electoral newcomers have drawn attention for their Senate campaigns, all arguing that voters are looking for someone outside the establishment who understands their challenges.
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The two join fellow Senate hopeful Jordan Wood, who launched his bid for the Democratic nomination in the spring. Wood, 36, brings some political experience to the role, having worked as chief of staff to former California Rep. Katie Porter and at Democratic nonprofit End Citizens United.
“I do very much consider myself an outsider, because most of my professional life has been fighting to change Washington and this broken political system,” he said.
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Wood said he would not drop out if Mills entered the race.
Reports due to the Federal Election Commission next month will show how much money each of the candidates have raised through the end of September, which could help determine their campaign’s staying power, as well as show what the response to their launches has been.
Wood closed the second quarter with $804,000 on hand at June 30, according to FEC records. He said he’s raised over $2 million so far.
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As Kleban, Platner and Wood look to stand out, the Democratic primary could become one of the biggest tests yet for Maine’s ranked choice voting system, which has been in effect since 2018. In 2020, Gideon took more than 50 percent of the Democratic primary vote, so the ranked choice system didn’t come into play.
The candidates acknowledged that ranked choice voting could shape the campaign in a new way.
“It’s interesting coming off the New York City primary where we just saw how candidates can work in coalition while running against each other,” Wood said.
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Wood said his political experience has given him knowledge into how the system works in Washington. In addition to working as Porter’s chief of staff and at End Citizens United, he also more recently was the executive director of the group democracyFIRST.
Wood, who said he’d spent much of the summer traveling the state to hold town halls and other events to introduce himself to voters, sees the topics of affordability and democracy as interlinked.
“Voters need to trust the person they are going to elect to serve and represent them in Washington,” he said. “I think that trust has been lost.”