As Democrats scramble to replace Graham Platner, the former logger and Maine Senate president offers a rare mix of progressive politics, labor credibility, and proven appeal in Republican-leaning areas.
Luckily, there are organizations out there who are endorsing independent-minded candidates as well as candidates who support reforms key to unlocking independent political power.
Whether the billionaire wealth tax survives will come down to a simple count: if Proposition 40 beats both Proposition 41 and Proposition 42 this November, it will stand. If either of them beats it, the tax will get erased anyway.
Prediction markets are already pricing in a post-Platner race—and the name that is closing the gap with Collins before any announcement has been made may help the party avoid a full Joe Biden situation.
Buried in Title 21-A, section 374-A of Maine's election statutes is a provision built for exactly this kind of situation: a primary winner who becomes, in the party's estimation, more liability than asset before the general election arrives.
The people currently getting any credit for wanting to fix it are not the people with the power to do so, and the people who do have that power were never in Washington to begin with.
From ballot access and open primaries to independent candidates and ranked choice voting, these groups are shaping the next phase of the voter-first reform movement.
A new ballot petition would replace New York City’s party-locked primary system with an open, ranked-choice Top Three election—putting more than 1.1 million excluded voters back in the process.
As America celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, millions of independent voters are raising their voices to declare that the promise of 1776 belongs to every citizen.
When looking at the accomplishments of these mayors, what sticks out as a throughline? A focus on infrastructure and public safety. Filling potholes, hiring police officers, and building houses. Efforts to bring disparate voices together, and a focus on acting transparently.
Shawn Griffiths
Nathan Smolensky
Matt Shinners
Cara Brown McCormick
IVN Editorial Board
Jeremy Gruber
