Why Faiz Shakir Thinks Graham Platner Can Win in Maine — 'Mud Season' Episode 4

Graham Platner on Running as Himself

Welcome to the final episode of the first season of Politics Between Us. Today, we’re joined by one of the most talked-about political candidates in the country: Graham Platner, who is running for U.S. Senate in our home state of Maine. We get into the contradictions people keep trying to pin on him — and why he thinks those questions say more about the limits of our political imagination than they do about him. We also dig into what “political revolution” actually means to him, why his anger comes from love, and what it has felt like to discover that simply being a genuine person in politics is somehow shocking to the people who cover it. Finally, we have an honest conversation about gender: Betsy Sweet ran for U.S. Senate in Maine on nearly identical politics and got called a witch, while Platner became a national phenomenon. And we even talk about Governor Janet Mills — but you’ll have to listen to hear that yourself. Subscribe for free and join the Politics Between Us conversation: Background Reading Politics Between Us Substack [https://politicsbetweenus.substack.com/] Maybe the Witch Was Right: Betsy Sweet on Love & Politics in the Maine Senate Race [https://politicsbetweenus.substack.com/p/maybe-the-witch-was-right-betsy-sweet] I’ve Got Your Back Politics (Luca DeAngelis) [https://politicsbetweenus.substack.com/p/ive-got-your-back-politics-december] Graham Platner’s Bet on Horizontal Power [https://substack.com/home/post/p-194904969] Time Magazine Cover [https://time.com/article/2026/05/20/graham-platner-profile/] Politics Between Us is created by Alison Beyea and Luca DeAngelis. Produced by Steven Jackson. Research by Jeff Sanders. This Substack is a personal project. Alison and Luca are both employees of Colby College, but the views and opinions expressed here are entirely our own and do not represent those of Colby College or any other institutions with which we are affiliated. This publication is not produced, sponsored, or endorsed by the College. Keywords: Graham Platner, Susan Collins, Maine Senate race, 2026 Senate primary, Janet Mills, Marine Corps, populism, political revolution, gender and elections, authenticity in politics, community organizing, labor movement, civil rights, women’s suffrage, Maine politics, campaign finance reform, Betsy Sweet, Bernie Sanders. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit politicsbetweenus.substack.com [https://politicsbetweenus.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Maybe the Witch Was Right: Betsy Sweet on Love & Politics in the Maine Senate Race

Welcome back to Politics Between Us and Episode 5 of Mud Season. This week, we’re joined by Betsy Sweet, an important Maine political activist and human rights advocate, two-time candidate for statewide office, and friend of presidential candidate Marianne Williamson. When Betsy ran for the U.S. Senate in 2020 on a platform of healthcare for all, campaign finance reform, and heart-centered politics, Chuck Schumer’s operation went around Washington calling her a witch. A reporter actually called her to ask if it was true. Her response: “If I am, I’m a very bad one — I would’ve taken care of this a long time ago.” Now Graham Platner is running on almost the exact same platform — and he’s on MSNBC. And no one is calling him a witch. That tension is at the heart of this conversation. We get into what it means to be a woman in politics, and what the electorate might be ready for now that it wasn’t ready for in 2020. We cover what the media keeps missing about Platner’s campaign and why Betsy is one of his loudest champions. Plus: we explore why a message of love and empathy might be exactly what this moment calls for, even if it takes a while for people to take you seriously. Stick around for AGEBAIT, where Luca brings Alison a clip of James Talarico — the Democratic Senate candidate in Texas making waves talking about religion, meaning, and community. Is a turn toward faith what the left needs to make sense of these incoherent times? Background Reading Politics Between Us Substack [https://politicsbetweenus.substack.com/] “I’ve Got Your Back” Politics (Luca DeAngelis) [https://politicsbetweenus.substack.com/p/ive-got-your-back-politics-december] All You Need Is Love (Alison Beyea) [https://politicsbetweenus.substack.com/p/all-you-need-is-love] Witches at the Polls (Marianne Williamson) [https://www.transformarticles.com/p/witches-at-the-polls?hide_intro_popup=true] James Talarico on Religion [https://www.tiktok.com/@talarico4life/video/7580433451476733239?_r=1&_t=ZT-96Sq3uNcrPh] Politics Between Us is created by Alison Beyea and Luca DeAngelis. Produced by Steven Jackson. Research by Jeff Sanders. This Substack is a personal project. Alison and Luca are both employees of Colby College, but the views and opinions expressed here are entirely our own and do not represent those of Colby College or any other institutions with which we are affiliated. This publication is not produced, sponsored, or endorsed by the College. Keywords: Betsy Sweet, Graham Platner, Susan Collins, Maine Senate race, heart-centered politics, women in politics, gender and elections, civil rights, Marianne Williamson, James Talarico, religion and politics, populism, Maine politics, community organizing. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit politicsbetweenus.substack.com [https://politicsbetweenus.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Why Faiz Shakir Thinks Graham Platner Can Win in Maine — 'Mud Season' Episode 4

Welcome back to Politics Between Us and Episode 4 of Mud Season. This week, we’re joined by Faiz Shakir — longtime political strategist, Founder of More Perfect Union, former ACLU National Political Director, and Campaign Manager for Bernie Sanders’ 2020 presidential campaign. Faiz has spent more than two decades thinking about what American politics gets wrong — and what it might still be capable of getting right. His starting point was the Iraq War, but his deeper frustration is with the gap between ordinary people and the politicians that claim to represent them. In this episode, we talk to Faiz about class consciousness, why the Democratic Party can feel like a closed club, and what it would mean to actually open the doors. That takes us from Bernie Sanders to Zohran Mamdani, and then of course, to Graham Platner and the U.S. Senate race in Maine. With Janet Mills out of the primary, the Maine Senate race has changed fast. Faiz makes the case for why Platner can beat Susan Collins — not by running to the middle, but by running directly against money in politics, private equity, corporate power, and the feeling that Washington has stopped listening to working people. Plus: Is this really a generational fight? Faiz isn’t so sure. He argues the real divide is between politicians who have been captured by corporate interest and politicians who are still listening and connected to regular people. Stick around for Agebait, where Luca usually brings Alison a piece of internet culture to test her knowledge. This week, we switch things up: Alison brings something to the table — the idea that younger men increasingly want to date older women. Background Reading Why I Am Running For DNC Chair [https://medium.com/@fshakir/why-i-am-running-for-dnc-chair-b6d595ae4057] Janet Mills drops out of race for US Senate [https://www.mainepublic.org/politics/2026-04-30/janet-mills-drops-out-of-race-for-us-senate] Why Young Men Want to Be With Older Women [https://www.nytimes.com/video/opinion/100000010840121/why-young-men-want-to-be-with-older-women.html] Politics Between Us is created by Alison Beyea and Luca DeAngelis. Produced by Steven Jackson. Research by Jeff Sanders. This Substack is a personal project. Alison and Luca are both employees of Colby College, but the views and opinions expressed here are entirely our own and do not represent those of Colby College or any other institutions with which we are affiliated. This publication is not produced, sponsored, or endorsed by the College. Keywords: Faiz Shakir, Bernie Sanders, More Perfect Union, ACLU, Graham Platner, Susan Collins, Maine Senate race, Zohran Mamdani, money in politics, Democratic Party, working-class politics, economic justice, populism. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit politicsbetweenus.substack.com [https://politicsbetweenus.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

“That Sounds Like An Endorsement” — 'Mud Season' Episode 3

Welcome back to Politics Between Us and Episode 3 of Mud Season. This week, we’re sitting down with Lucas St. Clair — conservationist, foundation leader, and former congressional candidate. Lucas’ story is unlike anyone else in Maine politics. He grew up off the grid in rural Piscataquis County, watched his mom build Burt’s Bees on a wood stove in a one-room schoolhouse, and spent years winning over deeply hostile communities to turn 87,000 acres of northern Maine into a national monument. Then he ran for Congress. We get into all of it: what it actually felt like to walk into communities that despised him, how he turned opponents into allies one kitchen table at a time, and what he thinks about politicians going negative. We also dig into the question Alison and Luca keep coming back to: who gets to define your identity? Lucas has a lot to say about the attacks on Graham Platner’s biography because he lived a version of the same story. And after dancing around it, he comes pretty close to an endorsement….but you should hear that for yourself. Plus, is Lucas considering running for office again? Maybe. Or maybe there’s more power in staying outside. Then stick around for Agebait [https://politicsbetweenus.substack.com/s/agebait], where Luca introduces Alison to looksmaxxing, mogging, and a whole online universe of scary extreme ideas. Join the Politics Between Us Community: Background Reading Katahdin Woods and Waters [https://www.nps.gov/kaww/index.htm] ‘Looksmaxxing’ Reveals the Depth of the Crisis Facing Young Men [https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/01/looksmaxxing-clavicular-vanity-trump/685636/?utm_source] Musings on the political and Graham Platner: Reflections on a conversation, Part 1 [https://shaystewartbouley.substack.com/p/musings-on-the-political-and-graham] Clavicular Looksmaxxing Interview [https://x.com/RedPillSayian/status/2005109007548395985?s=20] Politics Between Us is created by Alison Beyea and Luca DeAngelis and produced by Steven Jackson. This Substack is a personal project. Alison and Luca are both employees of Colby College, but the views and opinions expressed here are entirely our own and do not represent those of Colby College or any other institutions with which we are affiliated. This publication is not produced, sponsored, or endorsed by the College. Keywords: Lucas St. Clair, Katahdin Woods and Waters, Maine Senate primary, Graham Platner, Janet Mills, rural Maine, identity politics, class and authenticity, looksmaxxing, Gen Z, negative campaigning, happy warrior, 2026 Senate race. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit politicsbetweenus.substack.com [https://politicsbetweenus.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Mills vs. Platner, Who’s the Real Rural Candidate? — ‘Mud Season’ Episode 2

Welcome back to Politics Between Us and Episode 2 of Mud Season. This week, we’re continuing our deep dive into Maine’s 2026 U.S. Senate primary—but stepping back to ask a deeper question: what matters to rural voters? To help us think about this question, we’re joined by Professor Nicholas Jacobs, a leading scholar of rural politics. His work challenges one of the most dominant narratives in American politics: that rural voters are driven by irrational “rage.” Instead, he offers a more complicated argument about politics rooted in place, identity, and experience. We talk about why Democrats keep misreading rural communities, how resentment differs from rage, and why the most “authentic” rural candidate in recent memory might actually be Donald Trump. And we spend time on Maine specifically: why this state is “wonderfully weird,” why national media keeps missing the point, and why being a harbormaster might matter more than other points on a résumé. Along the way, we also get into the tension shaping this race, and American politics more broadly. Experience vs. disruption, governing vs. standing up, and whether voters today care more about who you are or whether you actually have their back. Then stick around for Agebait, our recurring segment where Luca pulls something from internet culture and tests how much Alison actually understands about the world people under 35 are living in. This week: betting, billionaires, and the odds on the Maine’s 2026 U.S. Senate Democratic primary. Join the Politics Between Us Community: Background Reading Trump’s rural voters know what they’re doing Sneering only widens the divide [https://unherd.com/2025/05/trumps-rural-voters-know-what-theyre-doing/?edition=us] What Liberals Get Wrong About ‘White Rural Rage’ — Almost Everything [https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2024/04/05/white-rural-rage-myth-00150395] “I’ve Got Your Back” Politics [https://substack.com/@politicsbetweenus/p-181803888] Maine Democratic Senate Primary Winner — Polymarket [http://polymarket.com/event/maine-democratic-senate-primary-winner] Politics Between Us is created by Alison Beyea and Luca DeAngelis and produced by Steven Jackson. This Substack is a personal project. Alison and Luca are both employees of Colby College, but the views and opinions expressed here are entirely our own and do not represent those of Colby College or any other institutions with which we are affiliated. This publication is not produced, sponsored, or endorsed by the College. Keywords: Maine politics, rural voters, Nicholas Jacobs, Janet Mills, Graham Platner, authenticity, resentment vs rage, 2026 Senate, political identity, rural America. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit politicsbetweenus.substack.com [https://politicsbetweenus.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]