All articles tagged with #maine
A University of New Hampshire poll (May 21–25) shows Troy Jackson surging in Maine’s Democratic gubernatorial primary, up 12 points to 28% and now tied with Nirav Shah, the perceived front-runner, as undecided voters shift; on the Republican side, Jonathan Bush is gaining but still trails Bobby Charles by double digits.
Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows announced that a referendum on transgender athletes participating in sports has been removed from the 2026 ballot, shelving the measure for now and leaving no immediate voter decision on the issue.
Secretary of State Shenna Bellows removed the conservative referendum to ban transgender girls from female scholastic sports from the 2026 ballot after ruling more than 12,000 signatures invalid, leaving the measure roughly 500 short of the threshold; proponents can try again for 2027 with about 500 additional signatures. Circulator fraud and misconduct surfaced during court hearings, including unattended petition forms and forged signatures. Bellows said the decision was based on facts and staff briefs, not politics, and noted the measure would have barred transgender girls from private spaces as well. The referendum was largely funded by Republican donor Richard Uihlein; a 2025 poll showed 64% of Mainers opposed transgender female athletes competing in women’s sports, and the measure could still face appeals in court.
Maine Democratic Senate hopeful Graham Platner defended his ad criticizing Red Sox owner John Henry for private equity ties, signaling a campaign message that ties national economic issues to a high-profile local sports figure, with an event participation alongside Bernie Sanders.
Massachusetts Rep. Jake Auchincloss, who is Jewish, says Graham Platner’s covered-up Nazi Totenkopf tattoo is “disqualifying” for his Maine Senate bid, telling CNN that the tattoo and Platner’s comments are personally disqualifying; Platner says he didn’t realize the symbol’s Nazi meaning when inked in 2007 in Croatia and has since covered it up, while remaining a Democratic candidate challenging Sen. Susan Collins.
Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows ruled that a citizen initiative to limit transgender students’ rights did not gather enough valid signatures and will not appear on the November ballot, reversing an earlier decision.
Two federal judges rejected the Justice Department's effort to compel Maine and Wisconsin to turn over their voter rolls, marking a setback for federal attempts to oversee voter-roll updates in these states.
Federal judges in Maine and Wisconsin rejected the DOJ’s attempts to obtain unredacted voter registration lists, marking the seventh and eighth losses in a wave of cases against more than two dozen states; rulings say the Civil Rights Act does not authorize blanket production of statewide lists under HAVA/NVRA, underscoring federalism limits in election administration, while the DOJ continues lawsuits in about 30 jurisdictions.
Emergency crews are on the scene in Searsmont, Maine after an explosion at 506 Main Street South (Robbins Lumber Inc.), prompting a mass casualty response as firefighters and other responders work at the site; authorities have not yet released casualty figures or a cause.
The Androscoggin mill in Jay, Maine is slated for conversion into a neocloud data center, part of a wider push to bring data-center projects to rural areas with promises of high-wage jobs and tax revenue. However, economists say long-term, permanent employment from such centers is typically limited, with many workers only on site for construction or short-term maintenance, while communities contend with energy and water demands and the uncertain scale of benefits. Maine even debated a moratorium to study impacts before the governor vetoed it for fear of losing jobs, illustrating the tension between incentives and actual economic gains in rural towns.
Sen. Susan Collins disclosed a decades-long benign essential tremor that causes tremors in her hands and head but says it has no impact on her ability to perform her duties; she has not missed a vote in 30 years and remains confident in serving another term amid a competitive Maine race.
Maine Democrats rally behind Graham Platner as the presumptive Senate nominee after Gov. Janet Mills withdraws, touting his grassroots operation and aiming to unseat Sen. Susan Collins, while he faces a June 9 primary against David Costello and scrutiny over past social-media posts.
After Gov. Janet Mills withdrew from Maine's Senate race, centrist Democrats pivoted to support insurgent Graham Platner, signaling a major intra-party shift toward progressive challengers; Platner’s strong grassroots appeal and momentum have drawn broad backing from the base and national figures, who now back him to face Republican Sen. Susan Collins in November, reflecting a wider conflict between centrists and progressives within the party.
Democratic critics say Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s backing of favored candidates—most notably Maine Gov. Janet Mills—backfired, fueling calls from rivals to pull DSCC involvement from remaining primaries as Mills’ drop‑out underscores voter skepticism of establishment picks; supporters argue the recruitment strategy expanded the map and helped win in states like Ohio, North Carolina and Alaska, but Mills’ collapse—and races in Michigan, Iowa and Minnesota—highlight mounting concerns about leadership style, aging incumbents, and the party’s trajectory into 2026 and 2028.
Maine Gov. Janet Mills’ bid for the U.S. Senate collapsed about six weeks before the primary after fundraising struggles and failure to blunt Graham Platner’s rapid rise, exposing two key campaign vulnerabilities cited by Democrats.