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QUOTE OF THE DAY

“A lot of people don’t, number one, have qualifications and, number two, don’t understand the common person and everyday struggles.”

— Robin, a Camden voter, speaking at the polls Tuesday. She lives in an over-50 community that is supposed to be affordable but says many of her neighbors struggle to pay for rent and food.

TODAY’S TOP STORIES

Graham Platner easily won the Democratic Party’s nomination for U.S. Senate. His gleeful supporters are confident he can beat Republican U.S. Sen. Susan Collins. But Collins’ willingness to occasionally buck President Donald Trump could help her reelection chances, and Trump’s recent silence about Collins is a sign of how competitive this race may become.

Bobby Charles had a lead in during the first round of voting in the Republican gubernatorial primary. That race will head to an instant runoff under Maine’s ranked-choice voting law. Meanwhile, the Democratic gubernatorial primary is much tighter and the outcome will almost certainly hinge on the ranked-choice count.

No one candidate had a commanding lead in the Democratic primary for the 2nd District late Tuesday. Much like the gubernatorial primaries, ranked-choice voting will decide the ultimate victor. Paul LePage will be the Republican nominee in the 2nd District after running unopposed. Down south in CD1, U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree, who was unopposed on the Democratic side, will face off against Republican Ron Russell, whom she beat in 2024, capturing 59% of the vote.

Here’s how small ranked-choice voting could reshape Maine’s primaries. The outcomes in the Republican and Democratic gubernatorial races and the Democratic CD2 race may hinge on subtle shifts in voters’ second and third choices.

NEWS FROM AROUND THE STATE

MAINE IN PICTURES

David Hardison, a 70-year-old farmer from Dedham, stands with his truck outside the Blue Hill YMCA before Graham Platner’s election night party begins. He likes Platner, who easily won Tuesday’s Democratic primary to face U.S. Sen. Susan Collins in November, because the candidate is young and will stand up for his beliefs, Hardison said. He wishes “skeletons” from Platner’s past that have made headlines weren’t there but said everyone has them, and Susan Collins has “got to go.” Asked about Platner’s chances despite that, he said, “We’ll see what happens.” Credit: Elizabeth Walztoni / BDN

FROM THE OPINION PAGES

The painted LGBTQ+ Pride flag on a downtown Bangor street was defaced by the first day of Pride Month, on June 1, 2026. Credit: Marie Weidmayer / BDN

“Good men take accountability for their actions. Good men empower and never oppress.”

Opinion: A conversation about Pride and crosswalks

LIFE IN MAINE

The state issued a warning to Maine fishermen after dozens of violations this spring.

A 65-acre Maine island accessible by car at low tide is for sale for $8 million.