{"id":2612291,"date":"2026-06-09T07:44:59","date_gmt":"2026-06-09T11:44:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/can-bernie-sanders-conquer-maine\/"},"modified":"2026-06-09T07:47:28","modified_gmt":"2026-06-09T11:47:28","slug":"can-bernie-sanders-conquer-maine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/can-bernie-sanders-conquer-maine\/","title":{"rendered":"Can Bernie Sanders conquer Maine?"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">10<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fcan-bernie-sanders-conquer-maine%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2612291&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) is testing how much influence his populist movement still has in Maine as voters head too the polls in three Democratic primaries. He won maine in 2016 and nearly won again in 2020, and his latest push reflects the state\u2019s history of ticket-splitting and independents-despite voting Democratic for president for decades, Maine hasn\u2019t elected a Democratic U.S. senator since 1995.<\/p>\n<p>In the **U.S. Senate** race, Sanders has kept endorsing embattled Democrat **Graham Platner**, even as platner faces scandals, including a Nazi tattoo controversy and reports of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/youtube-temporarily-demonetizes-beauty-influencer-after-he-admits-sending-sexually-explicit-messages-to-two-16-year-old-boys\/\" title=\"YouTube Temporarily Demonetizes Beauty Influencer After He Admits ...ding Sexually Explicit Messages To Two 16-Year-Old Boys\">sending sexually explicit messages<\/a> while married.When asked about the allegations, Sanders largely pivoted to the money and opposition coming from Republican-aligned groups, arguing that support for Platner is justified.<\/p>\n<p>For the **governor** primary, sanders endorsed former state Sen. **Troy Jackson**, a working-class, populist candidate. While some outside groups criticize Jackson\u2019s prior anti-abortion positions, he remains a front-runner, and the winner of the Democratic primary is expected to be favored to succeed term-limited Gov. janet Mills.<\/p>\n<p>In Maine\u2019s **2nd Congressional District**, Sanders hasn\u2019t formally endorsed a candidate in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/democratic-senator-debbie-stabenow-announces-she-wont-seek-re-election-in-2024\/\" title=\"... Debbie Stabenow Announces She Will Not Look For Re-Election In 2024\u00a0\">open seat race<\/a>, but the field has leaned left and embraced Democratic socialism. **Matt Dunlap**, pitching himself as an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/why-europe-is-moving-to-the-right\/\" title=\"The Shift to the Right in Europe: Reasons Explained\">anti-establishment alternative<\/a> to longtime Rep. Jared Golden, has gained attention through Sanders-linked messaging and advocacy for Medicare for All. His bid has triggered counterattacks from Democratic-aligned groups and ads highlighting his prior positions, while a GOP-linked group has together targeted him with its own messaging. The Democratic nominee will face former Gov. **paul LePage (R)** in November,were Republicans have strong recent footing in the district.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sen. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/bernie-sanders\/\">Bernie Sanders <\/a>(I-VT) is testing the strength of his political movement in <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/maine\/\">Maine<\/a>  on Tuesday as voters head to the polls in three <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/democrats\/\">Democratic<\/a> primaries.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sanders has endorsed candidates for governor and Senate in Maine. In the 2nd Congressional District, Sanders has not endorsed a candidate, but\u00a0one of the leading Democratic contenders has touted his longtime support for the Vermont senator.<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4599664\/trump-squares-off-against-nevada-gop-establishment\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Trump squares off against Nevada GOP establishment<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4600015\/graham-platner-john-fetterman-asshole-senate\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Platner vows not to be \u2018a**hole\u2019 like Fetterman if elected to Senate<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4598912\/trump-stump-lindsey-graham-south-carolina\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Trump to stump for Lindsey Graham in election eve tele-rally<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sanders\u2019s interest in the Pine Tree State comes as no surprise, as it has long embraced antiestablishment, populist candidates. The two-time presidential candidate won Maine during his 2016 run and finished second in 2020, losing to Joe Biden by fewer than 2,000 votes. <\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap\" style=\"min-height:5px;\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" style=\"display:none;\">Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-15\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-1\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The state has a rich history of splitting tickets and embracing an independent streak. Moreover, despite voting Democrat in every presidential election since 1992, the state has not had a Democratic senator since 1995, though Sen. Angus King (I-ME) caucuses with the party. Maine\u2019s conservative 2nd District, which President Donald Trump has never lost, has elected a Democrat since 2018. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sanders has appeared in Maine for rallies three times since 2025, the most recent two appearances coming over Memorial Day weekend, as he tries to transform the state\u2019s body politic.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-senate-nbsp\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Senate <\/strong><\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Embattled Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner launched his campaign last August and was quick to get Sanders\u2019s endorsement. The Vermont octogenarian has stuck with him ever since, even as a flurry of scandals, including covering up a Nazi tattoo and sending sexually explicit messages to other women while married, have bogged Platner down.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap\" style=\"min-height:5px;\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" style=\"display:none;\">Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-16\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-2\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sanders did not address the scandals when <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4591938\/graham-platner-makes-senate-democrats-squirm-blitz-dc\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4591938\/graham-platner-makes-senate-democrats-squirm-blitz-dc\/\">asked<\/a> about them last week by the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>, instead pivoting to the money being spent against Platner by outside groups. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhy do we think that Republican super PACs controlled by billionaires want to spend an extraordinary amount of money to defeat Graham Platner?\u201d Sanders said. \u201cThat\u2019s a good reason to vote for him.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhy don\u2019t we examine income and wealth inequality,\u201d Sanders <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/ramsberry1\/status\/2062558761152131095?s=20\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/x.com\/ramsberry1\/status\/2062558761152131095?s=20\">said<\/a> when asked about reports that Platner had told Senate Democrats there were no credible allegations of sexual assault against him.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap\" style=\"min-height:5px;\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" style=\"display:none;\">Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-17\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-3\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sanders reaffirmed his support of Platner in a social media post over the weekend. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe cannot continue to allow the Republican Party to control the Senate and push forward Trump\u2019s oligarchic and authoritarian agenda,\u201d <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/BernieSanders\/status\/2063351893548524010\/photo\/1\">wrote<\/a> Sanders.\u00a0\u201cAnd there is only one candidate who will do something about it. And that candidate is Graham Platner.\u201d <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Platner cleared the primary field and is the presumptive nominee as his fundraising and polling dominance boxed  Gov. Janet Mills (D), the Democratic establishment\u2019s choice, out of the race. Mills remains on the ballot ahead of Tuesday\u2019s primary.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Still, Mills has not run an active campaign for several weeks. <\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-governor-nbsp\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Governor <\/strong><\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sanders has also endorsed former state Sen. Troy Jackson for the Democratic nomination for governor of Maine. Jackson, a logger from a rural county that borders Canada, has run a Sanders-style populist campaign focused on the working class.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Jackson was floated as a possible candidate for the 2nd District after Rep. Jared Golden (D-ME) announced his retirement, but he opted to remain in the governor\u2019s race. Jackson is among the front-runners for the nomination, according to available <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/interactive\/polls\/maine-governor-election-polls-2026.html\">polling data<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Despite running in the Sanders mold, outside groups have criticized Jackson for his previous anti-abortion stances, which include a \u201c100% rating\u201d from Maine Right to Life, according to an <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/host2.adimpact.com\/admo\/viewer\/e4dff22d-1a76-4c13-bb8e-0754d273e7b2\">ad<\/a> from 314 Action Fund. 314 Action Fund supports Nirav Shah in the primary. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Whoever emerges from the Democratic primary is expected to be the heavy favorite in November to succeed term-limited Mills.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-2nd-congressional-district-nbsp\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>2nd Congressional District <\/strong><\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sanders hasn\u2019t endorsed in the open seat to replace Golden, but that hasn\u2019t stopped the field from tacking to the left and embracing the Democratic socialist.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Maine Auditor Matt Dunlap launched his campaign originally as a challenge to Golden, arguing the four-term congressman wasn\u2019t serving his constituents by siding with Republicans on a series of votes. He attempted to carve out an antiestablishment lane and has featured Sanders in multiple <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/host2.adimpact.com\/admo\/viewer\/d0916824-67fa-4b5e-9357-4951d8e0cfae\">TV<\/a> <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/jamesd0wns\/status\/2052340819634393114?s=20\">ads<\/a>, in which he\u2019s touted his role as co-chair of Sanders\u2019s 2016 presidential campaign in Maine. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Throughout the campaign, Dunlap has touted support for Medicare for All, a policy Sanders has long championed. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI think people want to have somebody who\u2019s going to go down to Washington and fight for \u2026 things like some type of single-payer Medicare for All program where people don\u2019t have to think about health insurance,\u201d Dunlap said at a December town hall in Augusta attended by this reporter. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Dunlap also scored an endorsement from Our Revolution, an outside group formed by Sanders, which <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >backs progressive candidates<\/a>.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But he created some enemies in the Beltway for his challenge to Golden, who at the time had not announced his 2026 plans. Both the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and House Majority PAC, the main super PAC for House Democrats, backed state Sen. Joe Baldacci (D), the brother of a former governor.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">House Majority PAC and Baldacci established a joint fundraising committee and began running ads slamming Dunlap for past anti-abortion votes while in the Maine Legislature. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWith deep roots in Maine and a strong record of standing up for working families, HMP firmly believes that Joe Baldacci will defeat scandal plagued Paul LePage,\u201d the PAC\u2019s spokesman CJ Warnke told the <em>Washington Examiner <\/em>in a statement. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4597477\/four-scandal-maine-senate-candidate-graham-platner\/\"><strong>FOUR SCANDALS MAINE SENATE CANDIDATE GRAHAM PLATNER IS FACING<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At the same time, a GOP-linked super PAC with little footprint aired TV <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/PatrickSvitek\/status\/2062546903976255506?s=20\">ads<\/a> calling Dunlap a \u201cprogressive champion\u201d and touting his support for Medicare for All. The group, Real Change PAC, previously meddled in a New Jersey Democratic primary to no avail. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The winner of the primary takes on former Gov. Paul LePage (R), who is favored to win the November election. Trump won the northern Maine district by nearly 10 points in 2024, and LePage won the district twice during his two runs for governor. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sen. Bernie Sanders tests his Maine political movement in three upcoming Democratic primaries<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4316,"featured_media":2612292,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/GettyImages-2277646825.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[32175,35835,32807,45119,35762],"class_list":["post-2612291","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-bernie-sanders","tag-campaign-strategy","tag-democratic-primary","tag-maine-politics","tag-us-elections"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/GettyImages-2277646825.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2612291","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4316"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2612291"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2612291\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2612295,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2612291\/revisions\/2612295"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2612292"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2612291"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2612291"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2612291"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}