Platner stands alone as
Gov. Mills steps aside. Platner will face incumbent Sen. Collins who has more lives than a cat in Maine.
Personally, this says two possible things.
1) The Democrats are going to drown the US in blue in November.
2) We just lost a seat gain.
To me, Gov. Mills was the right candidate for the right state. An Independent has generally been the best we can do in New Hampshire and Maine. Maine consists of a couple cities and a lot of expensive houses, and woods. As Governor, Mills proved she could win statewide office. But Platner, a firebrand coming from nowhere said what people wanted to hear in a primary. The left-wing is tired of electing compromise all the time. And even with the party backing Mills, the people were wanting the other guy. So excitement is great, especially if coming out of reliably blue, but still moderate Maine.
BUT!!!! We've seen the right-wing get excited and/or just go out and pick the wrong person. This has cost the GOP a handful Senate seats in the past couple of decades, from Moore to Walker to O'Donnell. Having excitement needs to carry a lot of excitement to get people over a more moderate candidate, which Collins is... despite supporting the people who axed Roe v Wade, but moderate enough. Most Republicans will vote for Collins, period. So you need turnout. And while left-wing turnout can be good (see Abrams' miracles in Georgia in 2020), a state like Maine is lacking in that category of voter to get the turnout. You desperately need the moderate vote. And Platner
isn't exactly the model candidate. The irony, is that GOP is advertising these posts of his, which I think oddly enough will make some lesser aware right-wing voters think he is their candidate. So maybe an offset? But add in the issue of name recognition, Platner is well behind that with Collins.
If the wave is large enough, it'll capsize Collins. But with Platner as the candidate, it may take just that. I think Gov. Mills could have won with a smaller wave.
