Maine Senate

• Maine Senate candidates have publicly condemned a fatal shooting involving ICE agents, bringing increased political scrutiny to GOP Senator Susan Collins during her current re-election campaign. • Republicans are pursuing a third partisan reconciliation package to fund priorities such as the war in Iran and the "Save AMERICA Act" election overhaul bill. • Senator John Cornyn of Texas expressed uncertainty regarding his support for Todd Blanche's appointment as attorney general ahead of a Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing.

• President Trump has reversed his plan to impose tolls on ships traveling through the Strait of Hormuz as the U.S. completes a third night of attacks on Iran. • In other diplomatic developments, Trump met with Iraq's prime minister, while Supreme Court justices provided testimony to Congress. • The House is scheduled to vote today on the Sunshine Protection Act, a bill introduced by Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-Fla.) to make daylight saving time permanent nationwide.

Democratic marines veteran and oyster farmer has been dogged by controversy since entering contest last yearWoman accuses Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner of sexual assaultGraham Platner, the Democratic nominee for US Senate in Maine, is suspending his campaign following a sexual assault allegation.Platner announced his decision in a video posted to social media on Wednesday evening. Continue reading...

Vermont senator is latest figure to call for Democratic nominee to step down after sexual assault allegationsHello and welcome to the US politics live blog.The fight to replace Graham Platner is already under way as Bernie Sanders became the latest key figure to call for the scandal-hit Democratic nominee to step down.Donald Trump has revived his bid for the US to acquire Greenland, threatening to pull all American armed forces out of Europe after the continent repeatedly pushed back. Arriving at the Nato summit in Ankara, the US president also suggested his commitment to defending Europe had been tempered by political decisions by leaders on immigration and energy. More here.A federal appeals panel struck down a significant chunk of Ron DeSantis’s so-called Stop Woke Act, delivering another rebuff to the Republican Florida governor’s efforts to stifle free speech in higher education. Judges of the 11th circuit court of appeal said that the higher education component of the law – which prevented college and university professors teaching or sharing thoughts on concepts of race and gender – breached the free expression rights guaranteed under the US constitution’s first amendment. More here.Ninety-five per cent of Americans believe the US is suffering an affordability crisis, as many report trouble with the rising cost of groceries and gas, according to an exclusive new poll conducted for the Guardian. The survey, conducted by Harris Poll, paints a bleak picture of how people feel about the US economy amid the war in Iran and ahead of the key midterm elections this fall. More here. Continue reading...

Democratic candidate for Senate, who has faced series of scandals, denies allegation reported by PoliticoA woman has accused Graham Platner, the Democratic candidate for US Senate in Maine, of sexual assault, according to an exclusive report by Politico.Jenny Racicot, 41, dated the oyster farmer former marine veteran and alleges he forced her to have sex despite repeated objections. Continue reading...

• Maine is conducting its 2026 Senate primary elections to determine the Republican and Democratic nominees for the U.S. Senate. • Live results are being tracked and reported by candidate and township as votes are officially counted. • These primaries are critical for establishing which party candidates will compete in the general election to represent Maine in the Senate.

Marine veteran won 72% of the vote despite infidelity and abuse allegations that emerged during primary campaignPlatner shrugs off scandals to win Maine Democratic Senate primaryHello and welcome to the US politics live blog.Graham Platner won the Maine Democratic primary for Senate and called for supporters to “believe people can change” amid his controversial candidacy.Redemption is not just some simple or easy destination; it’s a journey. I’ve made mistakes in my life, mistakes I regret, that I live with, that I continue to learn from. I’m still far from perfect. But every day I wake up and I try to be a little bit better and a little kinder than I was the day before. And if you give me the chance, I will be a senator for the people who cannot afford to buy a senator.House Republicans narrowly passed a reconciliation bill on Tuesday, by two votes, to provide another $70bn in funding over the next three years to the Department of Homeland Security, ensuring that agencies carrying out Donald Trump’s mass deportation agenda remain funded until the end of his presidency.At nearly the same moment, the US struck Iran again, in retaliation for the downing of a US helicopter near the strait of Hormuz.JD Vance, the US vice-president, said that a deal with Iran to end the war launched by the US and Israel 102 days ago, “could happen in the next week, but the deal could also happen months from now.”Lesley Groff, longtime executive assistant to Jeffrey Epstein, the late child sex offender Trump socialized with for nearly two decades, testified before the House oversight and reform committee. Continue reading...

Platner, whose campaign was hit by series of negative headlines, to face Susan Collins in key midterm contest Graham Platner, a Marine veteran, oyster farmer and progressive activist, has scaled a mountain of personal controversies to win the Democratic nomination for the US Senate in Maine.Victory on Tuesday caps a remarkable rise for a candidate who has never held elected office and whose campaign was shadowed by negative headlines that might have ended a more conventional political career. Continue reading...