Democratic incumbent loses to progressive
While Graham Platner’s candidacy has exploded, the Maine race remains key for Democrats hoping to win the Senate in the midterm elections.
Tuesday, July 14, 2026, episode of the podcast The Excerpt: The left wing of the Democratic Party is no longer knocking on the door, but kicking it in. Is the Democratic Party really rebuilding itself, or are progressives dooming it to a possible midterm election defeat? USA TODAY Washington Bureau Chief Susan Page joins The Excerpt to share her insights.
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Dana Taylor:
The Democratic left is no longer knocking on the door. The same energy that helped elect Zoran Mamdani has fueled a series of rebel victories, unseated longtime officeholders and helped advance progressive challengers in New York and Colorado. Five Democratic House incumbents have already been shown the door. Party leaders are watching with nervous expressions. Their fear is that Republicans will catch on and blur the lines between progressives and moderates, turning all Democrats in competitive states into stand-ins for the party’s most fearless activists. Is the party really headed for a rebuild, or are progressives dooming Democrats to a possible midterm election defeat?
Hello. Welcome to this excerpt from USA TODAY. I’m Dana Taylor. Today is Tuesday, July 14, 2026. USA TODAY Washington Bureau Chief Susan Page digs into it all. Susan, I’m always happy to have you.
Susan Page:
Hey, Danna. It’s always good to be with you.
Dana Taylor:
Susan, let’s start with Lindsey Graham, who passed away suddenly this past weekend. He has been an influential Republican in Congress for more than 30 years. What impact did his death have on Capitol Hill?
Susan Page:
For one thing, it’s a reminder of how old the senator is. More than half of the senators are over 65 years old. In other fields, it might be the age of retirement. Not in the U.S. Senate. That means South Carolina Republican Lindsey Graham suddenly passed away, and former Republican Majority Leader and Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell has been hospitalized for more than a month now. Therefore, we see an age effect.
And along with Lindsey Graham, he has played a key role in some of today’s central debates. He is a traditional Republican hawk who believes in the use of military force in the United States and around the world. He has been vocal in support of the Iran war. He is calling on the Trump administration and the president to support Ukraine in its war against Russia. He has been a long-time defender of Israel. So I think on these and other issues, we’re going to feel the loss of Lindsey Graham on Capitol Hill.
Dana Taylor:
Moving on to Maine and former Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner, there’s a lot of buzz surrounding this seat in November. Tell us about the race, what candidate Platner was like politically, and who might replace him, Susan.
Susan Page:
No election this year is more important than the Maine Senate race, but why is that? Because which party controls the U.S. Senate after these midterm elections is considered to be of great importance. Susan Collins is the only Republican incumbent on this year’s Senate ballot in a state that Trump lost in 2024, making her a top target for Democrats in flipping Republican Senate seats. And for Democrats to win the Senate majority, they would need to flip four of those seats and hold all of them.
And the Maine Senate race is attracting other attention because it is not a choice of the Democratic establishment, but an example of the growing energy of very progressive candidates, including Graham Platner. His opponent in the primary was Janet Mills, who served two terms as governor of Maine. He did so well and his strength was so obvious that she eventually called off the campaign. He won the primary election over allegations of misbehavior toward women, despite significant controversy over his Nazi tattoos. Finally, he was forced to suspend campaigning due to rape allegations, which he denies. So off to the races in Maine. The Democratic Party is planning to hold a hasty convention on July 25 to elect Platner’s successor in Maine. We’ll see now who ultimately wins that nomination.
Dana Taylor:
And this progressive wave in Democratic politics actually started with the election of New York Mayor Zoran Mamdani, the first Indian-origin mayor, the first Muslim, and the first democratic socialist. How did this race set the stage for this Progressive Party coup?
Susan Page:
It showed that someone with the label of a democratic socialist could win a major race to become mayor of the country’s largest city. And he’s not one to escape labels. He continues to embrace it. He has supported the candidacies of other Democratic Socialists in New York, some of whom have been successful as well. So the energy on the left and the left, the signs of unhappiness on the left of the Democratic Party are definitely a sign of the direction of the party and the kind of rising voices that we’re hearing from progressives.
Will progressive Democrats destroy the party in the midterm elections?
Democratic leaders fear that Republicans will use the Democratic Socialists’ momentum to transform the entire party into liberal activists.
Dana Taylor:
It was an eventful primary season, with several long-time Democratic incumbents losing. what happened?
Susan Page:
Yeah. Five incumbent Democratic members of the House lost their nominations. And being in office is usually pretty safe territory for a lawmaker. That hasn’t been the case so far this year, and many lawmakers have lost. In New York, the chairman of the House Hispanic Caucus lost his nomination fight. In Colorado, 15-term Democratic incumbents were defeated, but both were defeated by much younger candidates who identified themselves as democratic socialists and were not even tested on the ballot.
Dana Taylor:
What are Democrats worried about heading into the midterm elections?
Susan Page:
It’s one thing to be a democratic socialist, it’s another to win in a very blue place like New York City. It’s another thing to run as a candidate in some battleground states or districts and be criticized by the opposition as harshly as the Democratic Socialists in New York. There are some big issues of disagreement, like Israel and Gaza, Medicare for All, and defunding the police, that Republicans want to use against Democrats of all stripes, not just those who call themselves democratic socialists.
Dana Taylor:
Are they right to be concerned? How can Democrats counter the Republican message here?
Susan Page:
Well, I think it’s natural for them to be concerned. There is a great sense of alarm that if Republicans succeed in portraying Democrats as generally radical or dangerous, it could ruin what looked like a very good midterm election year for Democrats, and they may not be very successful. I hear President Trump repeatedly call them communists. Not a single democratic socialist currently voting calls themselves a communist. Several decades have passed since the end of the Cold War. It’s unclear how much “Red Menace” resonates with voters these days, especially young voters. But it’s a risk, and one that many moderate Democrats are concerned about.
Dana Taylor:
And this progressive party takeover isn’t over yet, is it?
Susan Page:
No, there are some races to watch. The Michigan primary will be held on August 4th, pitting a very liberal candidate against a centrist candidate for the Senate nomination, followed by the gubernatorial primary in Wisconsin, where a democratic socialist has a narrow lead over a centrist Democratic candidate. And in either case, it will be a test of how far the energy is with the left. Will it affect two Midwestern states that are among the nation’s battleground states, just as it has become so powerful in places like New York and Colorado?
Dana Taylor:
A lot of what you’re talking about really reminds me of President Joe Biden and the smoldering anger at the center-left Democratic Party and how their priorities and candidates are not given a chance in any power. Do you think it’s true?
Susan Page:
I think a lot of Democrats, especially younger Democrats, thought it was time for Joe Biden not to run for a second term. It’s time for Joe Biden to take the field. Of course, he chose to seek a second term until he withdrew. And when he withdrew, there was no serious discussion within the party about who should replace him. That was partly a result of time constraints. Kamala Harris won the nomination. Obviously, we know she couldn’t beat Donald Trump. So there remains a sense that the party establishment should not be too careful about what positions it takes, and is not listening to the voices of the young rising voices who say they are more interested in creating and unleashing this enthusiasm that we have seen in some of these campaigns.
Dana Taylor:
Well, Susan, please take a bow for us here and finish all this. What are the stakes?
Susan Page:
The stakes are pretty high. I believe that the midterm elections, the final two years of Donald Trump’s term, will have an impact on the 2028 presidential election. It could also affect the future of the two-party system and how one of them is currently defined.
Dana Taylor:
Susan Page is USA TODAY’s Washington bureau chief. Susan, it’s always nice to see you.
Susan Page:
thank you.
Dana Taylor:
Thank you for your attention. I’m Dana Taylor. What story would you like to hear next? Let us know at podcast@usatoday.com.
