First Debate to Replace Platner Reveals Just How Much Trouble Maine Dems Are In

Conservative News DailyJuly 17, 2026
244

This content appears too be a detailed report on a Maine Democratic primary debate amid discussions about a candidate named Graham Platner and others vying to secure a spot on the ballot.The debate included multiple candidates, some of whom had previously run in primaries and gained notable support, while others brought less prominence or controversial views.The first half of the debate was considered painful, with candidates struggling to perform, whereas the second half was viewed as comical.

Highlights include critique of candidate performances,with some candidates like Shenna Bellows and Jordan Wood making controversial or awkward remarks,and others like Nirav Shah presenting unconventional opinions such as opposing the removal of Nicolás Maduro and claiming money grows on trees. The debate also featured socially charged topics like transgender issues and Medicare for All,with all candidates expressing support for left-leaning policies.

The report underscores Platner’s charisma despite his problematic history and suggests the other candidates lack the political skill to challenge the incumbent, Senator Susan Collins. it portrays a polarized and somewhat chaotic race, emphasizing the Democrats’ challenges in fielding a strong candidate with appealing qualities for the general election.



Hoo boy.

If you missed the first set of debates for the Maine Democrats to decide who they’re going to put on the ballot to replace the disgraced and withdrawn Graham Platner because you had anything better to do with your life, I envy you.

Let me sum up what happened as quickly as possible: The first half was painful. The second half was laughable.

Eight candidates were competing to see who the Maine Democrats pick at a July 25 party convention. The first half included candidates who ran for different races during the primaries this year and lost but got at least 20 percent of the vote, according to CNN: Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, former Maine Senate President Troy Jackson, epidemiologist and public health official Nirav Shah, and Jordan Wood, former chief of staff for ex-U.S. Rep. Katie Porter who was third in the close vote for the Democratic nomination in Maine’s 2nd Congressional District.

The second part was very politically called “an undercard of sorts, with four lesser-known candidates looking to break through in the abbreviated race” by CNN. It included the race’s potential breakthrough candidate to capture the same independent energy that Platner did: Dan Kleban, the Maine Beer Company founder who was squeezed out of the Senate race by Platner and establishment favorite Gov. Janet Mills.

It also included this guy:

At the very least, Webb generated some interest in the second hour. The first included a bunch of people who mostly agreed with each other on far-left talking points that have become anodyne this election year, delivered in a manner that didn’t even rise to the low bar of performance that word implies.

From CNN:

None of the candidates in Thursday night’s debate could replicate the political skills that allowed Platner to emerge as a viral sensation, elbow a two-term governor out of the race and poll neck-and-neck with Collins before he ended his campaign after a woman accused him of rape — allegations he has denied. Shah’s delivery was one-note and Bellows’ was halting. Wood often turned to his notes. Jackson frequently cleared his throat and changed directions mid-sentence.

Bellows, who tried to get Donald Trump disqualified from Maine’s 2024 presidential ballot due to the events of Jan. 6, 2021, is arguably the favorite in this race, and even the moderators were calling her out for non-answer answers:

TL;DR: If you know what it’s like to not have money, Shenna Bellows knows how you feel. That means she’ll get the money. Trust her, she’s got the answer — unlike the thousands of other politicians who have made this empty promise, sometimes with specifics, and failed.

She did brag about trying to disqualify Trump, though. And while this might endear her to Democrats longing for the sugar high of Platnermania, swing voters considering Republican Sen. Susan Collins aren’t going to like this kind of stuff:

Jordan Wood, meanwhile, made the mistake of bringing up his ex-boss, whose career ended in ignominy with a pitiful run at the California governorship amid spouse and staff abuse scandals:

Shah, meanwhile, argued such points as the fact that arresting and deposing narcoterrorist dictator Nicolás Maduro of Venezuela actually made America less safe:

He also thinks money grows on trees:

Then there was the undercard — mostly a second-chance for Kleban, but also for a few other local nut jobs like Elizabeth Dickerson, who’s running since she’s “very interested in climate.”

There was Webb, who seemed to be running (you will not be surprised to learn) on transgender issues:

And then there was David Costello, who reminded us all why we were here by noting that Graham Platner allegedly voted for him:

Kleban showed that he had some chops, although the non-answer answer was strong with him, too:

And then there was this exchange:

You don’t say.

But that eight-for-eight in terms of Medicare-for-all is a pretty telling statement: For all the stiltedness of the first debate and the inadvertent hilarity of the second, there was across-the-board agreement in terms of far-left talking points. Yes on single-payer health care. Yes on illegal immigration, no on Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Yes on Gaza, no on Israel. Yes on whatever the Platner class tells them to do, no on Graham Platner’s behavior.

The problem is that Platner, for all of his abhorrent behavior, hateful positions, and clear mental health challenges that should have ruled him out as a candidate from the get-go, had some charisma. These people are a melange of striver functionaries and weirdos. Absent some transformation before the July 23 debate hosted by CNN, the Democrats are in deep trouble if these Temu Platners are who they hope to overcome Susan Collins with.

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Conservative News DailyJuly 17, 2026
244
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