smh.com.au: https://www.smh.com.au/national/an-oyster-farmer-a-firefighter-a-kennedy-the-democrats-taking-the-fight-to-the-republicans-20260521-p5zzm3.html

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Subject: NY-LEG-A036-MAMDANI
Source: GDELT news · original
Published: Saturday, May 23, 2026

US midterm primaries: The Democrats taking the fight to the Republicans Open accessibility guide Skip to sections navigation Skip to content Skip to footer Log in Our network Log in Expand navigation menu Search The Sydney Morning Herald logo The Sydney Morning Herald logo Advertisement Explainer US election An oyster farmer, a firefighter, a Kennedy: The Democrats taking the fight to the Republicans Across the United States, parties are choosing their candidates for the midterm elections in November. Who are the emerging Democrat stars? And who’s in the frame to run for the presidency in 2028? Angus Holland and Madeleine Heffernan May 24, 2026 Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Share A A A Even among the sea of first-ti

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US midterm primaries: The Democrats taking the fight to the Republicans Open accessibility guide Skip to sections navigation Skip to content Skip to footer Log in Our network Log in Expand navigation menu Search The Sydney Morning Herald logo The Sydney Morning Herald logo Advertisement Explainer US election An oyster farmer, a firefighter, a Kennedy: The Democrats taking the fight to the Republicans Across the United States, parties are choosing their candidates for the midterm elections in November. Who are the emerging Democrat stars? And who’s in the frame to run for the presidency in 2028? Angus Holland and Madeleine Heffernan May 24, 2026 Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Share A A A Even among the sea of first-timers, blue-bloods and downright oddball Democratic candidates hoping to rout the Republicans at this year’s US midterm congressional elections, the oyster farmer from Maine stands out. Despite having little political experience, Graham Platner, a gravelly voiced Marine Corps veteran, has emerged as a beacon of hope in the Democrats’ attempt to take the fight to Trump. Running on a platform of Robin Hood-style aspiration – “I’m a working-class guy that lives a working-class life” – Platner, 41, is expected to be rubber-stamped as a Democratic candidate for the Senate at the primary election in the oceanside state of Maine on June 9. Having already seen off a much-loved stalwart from his own party, Governor Janet Mills, who has withdrawn from the race, he is a strong chance, if not a certainty, to beat the formidable Republican senator Susan Collins, who has served the state for nearly 30 years. “He’s come out of nowhere,” says Bruce Wolpe, a senior fellow at the United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney. “But people are listening to him, and they’re saying, ‘Oh, we respect what you’ve done and what you stand for. We’re going to vote for you.’ And I think he’s going to win that race.” Platner represents a shift among Democrats towards more relatable, practical solutions, to lure swinging voters turned off by the party’s elitist image at the last general election; and he is emblematic of a change of focus playing out across the nation as its 50 states endure the often gruelling “primary” contests where parties select their candidates for November’s midterms. How are the primary contests playing out so far? What chances do the Democrats have of winning back Congress in the midterms? And who might emerge as the party’s best hopes for the 2028 presidential election? Graham Platner at a union event in Portland in Maine in May. Getty Images How do the parties choose candidates for the midterms? Midway through each presidential term, the United States holds “midterms”. In the US House of Representatives, each of the 435 seats represents a congressional district, each home to roughly 750,000 people. In the Senate, which has two seats for each of the states,

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