As it stands, there is no serious challenger to U.S. Sen. Susan Collins in 2020. Of the several potential Democratic nominees for the seat currently occupied by the centrist Republican, none sticks out as a viable competitor.
U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree, the liberal congresswoman from Maine’s notoriously left-leaning 1st District, previously threw her hat into this particular ring – back in 2002 – and suffered a decisive defeat. Schoolteacher Zak Ringelstein’s socialist message turned off the Pine Tree State’s electorate in the 2018 Senate race, earning him just over 10 percent of the vote.
The speaker of the Maine House, Sara Gideon, would be dogged by her handling of the scandals surrounding then-Rep. Dillon Bates and Rep. Ryan Tipping, and Dr. Cathleen London recently received a reprimand over sometimes-politically charged unprofessional conduct.
For all the hype and Democratic enthusiasm surrounding this race, the party is strikingly devoid of a viable general election challenger to Maine’s ever-popular senior senator.
Jacob Favolise
Sanford
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