Candidates vying to replace Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Graham Platner in the race against Republican Sen. Susan Collins will participate in a televised debate Thursday night.
The debate hosted by News Center Maine starts at 7 p.m. and will be broadcast live on the News Center Maine streaming app. It will be moderated by anchor Rob Caldwell and political reporter Phil Hirschkorn.
Initially the TV station invited only four candidates but has since opened the debate to all eight:
- Secretary of State Shenna Bellows
- Former government official David Costello
- Former Rockland city councilor and state representative Elizabeth Dickerson
- Former Maine Senate president Troy Jackson
- Maine Beer Co. co-founder Dan Kleban
- Social worker Paige Loud
- Former Maine CDC director Nirav Shah
- Former political aide Jordan Wood
It will be the first debate in the new field of candidates that sprung up after Platner dropped out of the race in the face of a rape allegation that he denies.
Thursday’s debate comes at a flashpoint for the U.S. Senate race after federal immigration agents shot and killed a 26-year-old in his car in downtown Biddeford. Many of the Democratic candidates have since called for the abolition of ICE, while Collins, who cast a deciding vote to fund the controversial federal law enforcement agency, accused her challengers of politicizing a tragedy.
The nominee to face Collins will be chosen by roughly 600 delegates at a special Maine Democratic Party convention later this month.
