This is What Democrats Need for the 2026 Midterm Elections

Democrat with Washington Experience Announces Run Against Susan Collins 

He's young, he worked for Congresswoman Katie Porter, and his work in Washington included time spent with a group called "End Citizens United", with the goal of getting big money out of politics.  And while Collin's office tried to label him as a west coast liberal, the fact of the matter is that he's a small town Maine native from a family that typifies the values and character of his home state far better than Collins does, with his father as a preacher and mother working as a teacher.  

That, along with his political views, and his youthfulness, make him an attractive candidate.  He's certainly not shown anything like the spineless, wishy-washy, indecisiveness that characterizes Collins time in the Senate.  Her character is represented by spectacular cave-ins to partisan pressure, when she knowingly voted to approve Supreme Court appointees who were lying to Congress, and who duped her into thinking they would never vote to overturn Roe.  The loss of Roe is largely her fault, and that's not how you represent people who trust you to stick to your word and hold to your convictions.  

If that's what the people of Maine expected from their Senator, unfortunately, they were sorely disappointed.  They won't be disappointed in Justin Wood.

Expect Strong Arguments for Establishment Democrats Getting This Nomination

The seat needs to be flipped, regardless of which Democrat finally winds up with the nomination.  Wood will more than likely have to overcome establishment money which will most likely go to Governor Janet Mills, who is also planning to run for this seat.  Wood represents a segment of Democrats committed to getting that kind of money out of politics, and it would be nice to elect someone whose presence affirms that position, and proves that it can be done.  

From a personal perspective, what I'm looking for are Democrats who actually take the threat of Trump to American democracy seriously, and who will be willing to take a few risks and be bold enough to do the kind of things that will shut down that threat.  I want to vote for candidates who would have been willing to get rid of the Senate filibuster, and who would not have been opposed to packing the Supreme Court, seeing it as necessary to bring Trump to justice, and to restore court decisions that are more consistent with the Constitution and the values it represents, and willing to prevent corrupt judges like Alito, Thomas and Roberts, and immoral playboys like Cavanaugh, from influencing court decisions.  

I want to vote for candidates who see the core values of the Democratic party from my economic and social status.  I worked for a living, all my life, in retirement, I'll be virtually dependent on Medicare, and almost completely reliant on social security.  I believe that those who have benefitted the most from the things that we, the taxpayers, have provided for them to prosper should pay the highest tax rates as a result of their benefitting from infrastructure, security and economic power.  "Fair share" is the best word to describe this, and I believe candidates like Justin Wood will stand for these values.  

Janet Mills would be an excellent choice.  But I think Wood is a little closer to where the common people live and work.  And it seems, in some of the tone and attitude that is being reflected, even at this early point, there's more or less an expectation that she's "next in line" or "has paid her dues."  And that's a little more establishment than I am willing to support at this point in my political development, after seeing what the Democratic party establishment failed to accomplish when it came to bringing Trump to justice.  In spite of everything else they did accomplish, that was a priority that they should have achieved, if nothing else got done.  

Maybe enough Americans have had enough, seeing that politics as usual has now made two huge mistakes in who it has managed to elect to the White House.