Democrat shakeup in Maine Senate race boosts far-left, sows fresh doubts for Chuck Schumer’s future

Gov. Janet Mills’ exit from Maine’s Senate race handed Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer another public defeat, sharpening doubts about his political instincts and his hold on the Senate’s Democratic leadership.

His departure also highlighted a deeper problem for Mr. Schumer: The candidate he tried to sideline has become the party’s leading contender. Graham Platner — a 42-year-old former marine and oyster farmer who has electrified progressives — has always been seen as Democrats’ best shot at unseating Republican Sen. Susan Collins, the Maine institution who chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee.

That dynamic has intensified questions about Mr. Schumer’s political judgment at a time when his leadership is already under scrutiny.

Mr. Schumer, 75, had urged Mills, 78, to challenge Mr. Platner. But by the time she entered, he had already become a leading candidate, drawing crowds with his calls for Mr. Schumer’s departure and his criticism of both parties for their support of a system that he said rewards the wealthy while leaving out working people.

Adam Green, co-chairman of the Progressive Change campaign committee, said Mr. Schumer’s push for Ms. Mills underscored how out of step he was with the party’s base — and with Democrats in general.

“Chuck Schumer has a long history of dusting off old war horses that shouldn’t run anymore instead of recognizing that we’re living in marginal times where people want a new shake-up of the system — economic populist vibes,” Mr. Green told the Washington Times. “That’s the fatal flaw in his recruitment of a 78-year-old governor to run against an inspiring economic populist.”

He pointed to previous candidates Schumer recruited who were unsuccessful — former Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland, former Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen and former Wisconsin Sen. Russ Feingold — and said the pattern is repeating itself this cycle in places like Maine, Michigan and Iowa.

“From the party base to many establishment donors, there is consensus at this point that Chuck Schumer has had his time, but he is well past his prime and should step aside,” Mr. Green said.

The Maine race is shaping up to be a national barometer today: A fresh-faced, far-left populist outsider faces Collins, 73, a veteran Washington operative with deep ties across the state. And the irony is hard to ignore: If Mr. Schumer wants to have a real chance of flipping the Senate and becoming majority leader, he probably needs Mr. Platner to defeat Ms. Collins.

After Ms. Mills suspended her campaign, the Senate majority PAC — aligned with Mr. Schumer — quickly signaled its support for Mr. Platner.

“Susan Collins will be defeated in November,” said spokeswoman Lauren French. “Her years of voting against Maine families have left her in the weakest and most vulnerable position of her career. In contrast, Graham Platner has brought new energy to the campaign, and we will continue our fight to defeat Collins with him as our presumptive nominee.”

The group has already booked $24 million in television ads for the fall.

Mr. Platner also said Thursday that the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee had also reached out. Early polls show him with a slight edge over Ms. Collins in what is expected to be the most expensive race in state history.

Republicans, for their part, also criticized Mr. Schumer’s judgment – ​​but for very different reasons.

“The presumptive Democratic nominee for Maine Senate is a self-proclaimed communist with an actual Nazi tattoo,” said Joe Gruters, chairman of the Republican National Convention. “Chuck Schumer, Elizabeth Warren and the rest of their leaders are already getting into this nut job.”

Internal party pressure on Mr. Schumer has been increasing for months.

Calls for him to pass the leadership baton — and for Rep. Alexandria Ocasio‑Cortez to consider a challenge in the 2028 primary — intensified last fall after he reversed course and supported a Republican-led spending bill to keep the government open.

Mr. Platner used the moment to urge Mr. Schumer to step down in November after the bill moved forward without an extension of enhanced COVID-era health care subsidies, a loophole that has put coverage at risk for millions.

“This happened because Chuck Schumer failed at his job once again,” Mr. Platner said in a video posted on social media. “They see it all as a game. It’s just numbers on a sheet of paper, not people’s lives.”

He is not the only one calling for new leadership.

Juliana Stratton, Illinois’ lieutenant governor and Democratic Senate candidate, said she would not support Mr. Schumer as leader, and Michigan state Sen. Mallory McMorrow took the same stance during her own Senate campaign.

Mr. Schumer has recruited several highly regarded candidates this cycle, including former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper and former Alaska Rep. Mary Peltola. But her preferred choice in the Michigan Senate primary, Rep. Haley Stevens, is struggling against Ms. McMorrow and Abdul El-Sayed.

A similar dynamic is playing out in Iowa, where Mr. Schumer’s pick, state Rep. Josh Turk, faces a stiff challenge from state Sen. Zach Wahls, the liberal favorite. Mr. Wahls reflected on this contrast.

“I’m not the choice of Chuck Schumer or the Washington DC establishment. Good for me. I’ve been clear from day one that the status quo is not worth protecting,” he said. “That means electing new leaders and tackling corruption within both parties. »

Mr. Green said the moment served as a warning to Democrats as 2026 approaches.

“In no way should Schumer interpret the Democrats’ victory in 2026 as a mandate for his continued leadership,” Mr. Green said. “You’ll remember that in 2022, Joe Biden misinterpreted the Democrats’ outperformance as a mandate for him to run again — and it was a disaster. There’s almost an exact parallel between Biden and Schumer.”