Key Insights

Graham Platner holds a 34.9 point lead ahead of Janet Mills in a primary matchup. Mills’ strongest support comes from voters 60+, while Platner has the majority of 18-59-year-olds.

Graham also holds an advantage in general-election matchups, with a 12.1-point margin over Mills.

From the Voters

Giving voters the ability to provide free-response text helps us better understand the electorate’s thinking, rather than relying only on binary questions. Here are key responses from roughly 500 voters who completed the optional follow-up questions.

Q: What is the single most important issue that will determine your vote in the 2026 Senate election?

Opinions were very clear on three themes: rejecting foreign influences like AIPAC, growing the economy, and rejecting Chuck Schumer’s handpicked candidate for Senate.

“I will not vote for ANYONE who accepts money from AIPAC or the Israel lobby.”

“The widening of classes due to extreme corruption.”

“The Democratic Party needs to read the room or move out of the way.”

Q: In a few words, how would you describe Susan Collins’ job performance as your senator?

The majority of voters, including Republicans, see Collins as a poor legislator, and few voters could cite specific examples of positive performance.

“I would vote for a wet rag before I voted for Susan Collins again.”

“Wishy washy spineless — only votes against Trump when her vote doesn’t matter.”

“She feigns concern and votes the party line.”

Q: What, if anything, have you heard about Janet Mills?

The majority of responses, including from those who support her, stress the need to move on from office at an old age.

“She is youthful and competent despite her age, intelligent, caring... she needs to resign/be defeated in order for all Mainers to have true representation.”

“Love her. Go out on top. Retire.”

“The ones who will live with the decisions need to be making the decisions.”

Q: What, if anything, have you heard about Graham Platner?

Voters are aware of Platner’s previous actions, but are broadly receptive to his apology, especially alongside his progressive values and relatability.

“When have we had a politician who stood up and took responsibility for a mistake? I support him 100%.”

“He is a Mainer, a veteran, an oyster farmer and now a vocal leader for those of us in Maine with progressive values. Who will stand up against those politically opposed to him without fear.”

“He’s a working guy, a caring man, deserving of forgiveness for youthful mistakes. Reminds me of me, and how my life has progressed.”

Methodology

This survey was conducted by Forward Blue from March 18 through March 22, 2026, among a sample of 1,598 likely Democratic voters in the State of Maine. Respondents were recruited via a web-to-SMS panel targeting medium to high turnout records.

The margin of error for the full sample is ±2.5 percentage points at the 95% confidence level, calculated using the standard method.

The survey included an attention-check question that instructed respondents to select a specific answer, and invalid responses were removed from the results.

Results are unweighted. Percentages may not sum to 100% due to rounding.

This poll was sponsored by Forward Blue. As of the time of writing and conducting the poll, Forward Blue has not endorsed any candidate in this race. Additional unweighted crosstabs and a copy of the questionnaire are available upon request for press or academic uses.

So what is Donald Trump’s number one legislative priority right now?

Making it harder for you to vote.

The SAVE America Act is headed to the Senate floor this week. The bill would force every American to produce a passport or a certified birth certificate just to register to vote. It would impose a national photo ID requirement stricter than almost every state voter ID law on the books. It would ban student IDs. It would restrict tribal IDs. And it would require every state to hand over its voter rolls to the Department of Homeland Security.

More than 21 million U.S. citizens don’t have ready access to the documents this bill demands. Not because they’re not citizens. Because they’re working people who don’t have a passport sitting in a drawer. Because they moved and haven’t updated their birth certificate. Or, like many, perhaps they got married and changed their name.

This bill does not solve a real problem. Noncitizen voting is already illegal. It is vanishingly rare. The Trump administration’s own data confirms it. Every state already requires voters to verify their citizenship. The SAVE Act stacks a new barrier on top of a system that already works, and the people who get crushed are the ones with the least time and money to jump through bureaucratic hoops.

If you want some more context on the SAVE Act, PBS NewsHour has a good segment here:

Who gets hurt? Military families who move constantly. Married women who changed their names. Elderly voters without current documents. Young voters registering for the first time. Communities of color are three times more likely than white citizens to lack the required paperwork.

If you’re thinking “this sounds like a poll tax with extra steps,” congratulations... you’re paying attention!

🏠 At the Intersection of “Not His Problem.”

Housing. The issue voters across every demographic, every state, every political persuasion rank at or near the top of their list. The issue where 84% of Gen Z say they’re delaying marriage, kids, or career moves because they can’t afford to buy a home.

And guess what? The Senate just passed a sweeping, bipartisan housing bill, 89 to 10. (YAY!) The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act would be the biggest federal housing package in decades. It tackles Wall Street investors buying up single-family homes. It cuts red tape for new construction. It expands programs that help people actually afford a place to live.

Trump’s response? He told House Speaker Mike Johnson to stop worrying about the housing bill and focus on passing the SAVE Act. He said out loud, at the House Republican retreat: “They don’t talk about housing. They don’t talk about anything. That’s all they talk about.” (”That” being the SAVE Act.)

He has vowed not to sign any legislation until the SAVE Act passes. Not housing. Not anything.

If it were about election integrity, they’d fund the election infrastructure that’s already crumbling. They’d invest in the poll workers who are quitting because of threats. They’d enforce the laws already on the books.

They want to shrink the electorate. And they want to do it eight months before a midterm where their war is unpopular, their president’s approval is underwater, and every kitchen table in America has a higher gas bill sitting on it.

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🧱 The Filibuster Question

The SAVE Act needs 60 votes to pass the Senate. Democrats are unified in opposition. Schumer called it one of the most despicable bills he’s seen in his career.

Republicans have 53 seats. Even Trump’s relentless pressure campaign hasn’t moved the math. Several Republican senators, including Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins, oppose the bill or oppose changing filibuster rules to ram it through. Senate Majority Leader Thune has admitted the votes aren’t there. He’s bringing it to the floor anyway, to, in his words, “put Democrats on the record.”

Fine. Put us on the record. Democrats should want to be on the record opposing a bill that would strip 21 million Americans of their ability to register to vote. That’s not a hard vote. That’s a gift.

But “putting Democrats on the record” is also a setup. If the bill fails this week, Trump and the MAGA media machine will spend the next eight months screaming that Democrats blocked election security. They’ll say Democrats want noncitizens to vote. They’ll scream it on Fox. They’ll ALL CAPS it on Truth Social. They’ll echo it at every rally between now and November.

Democrats need to be ready with a response that doesn’t require a flowchart. Something like: “We killed a bill that would have stopped 21 million Americans from voting, and we’d do it again.”

📌 What You Can Do

Call your senators today. Both of them. Even if they’re Democrats.

The number for the U.S. Capitol Switchboard is (202) 224-3121. They’ll connect you.

Here is a script from 5Calls to reference:

I’m calling to urge Senator [Name] to oppose the House-passed SAVE America Act, which would create unnecessary barriers to voter registration and disenfranchise countless voters, especially women, seniors, and low-income citizens. The bill is designed to block voters despite no evidence of widespread fraud.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

IF LEAVING VOICEMAIL: Please leave your full street address to ensure your call is tallied.

If you’re in a state with a Republican senator or someone like Sen. John Fetterman, your call matters even more. Collins (ME), Murkowski (AK), McConnell (KY), and Tillis (NC) have all expressed reservations. They need to hear from constituents, not just from Trump’s Truth Social feed.

The president is waging a war that’s costing you $10 more a week at the pump. He’s refusing to sign a housing bill that 89 senators agreed on. And his top priority is a bill that would make it harder for 21 million citizens to vote.

He’s not trying to save America. He’s trying to save his majority.

Don’t let him.

🍎 Zohran Mamdani

Zohran Mamdani (D) is standing tall with a double-digit lead over disgraced governor Andrew Cuomo! He recently spent a few minutes with Anderson Cooper on CNN. You can watch his interview here:

📊 Deadheats in Virginia + New Jersey

In Virginia, Rep. Abigail Spanberger is running neck-and-neck against a Trump-endorsed extremist who wants to defund public schools and ban abortion.

In New Jersey, Rep. Mikie Sherrill is fighting tooth and nail to fend off a MAGA wave fueled by dark money and billionaire-funded PACs. Early vote returns show GOP voters turning out at higher-than-expected levels, and Democrats beginning to lag behind.

Why these races matter:

• Both races are seen as a barometer for how the country responds to the coming wave of elections under Donald Trump-era politics.

• Democratic turnout is essential in both races and must overcome Republican energy to pull through.

• A few thousand votes will make the difference in either of these races to tip the scales.

If you have an hour between now and Election Day, consider hopping on the phone to make get-out-the-vote calls and make sure every last Democrat has a plan to vote!

⏰ Trump is back… on 60 minutes?

Yes, really. His first sit-down with the production since the network quietly settled for $16 million after last year’s Kamala Harris defamation interview.

This is exactly how they want it to go: Trump smiling smugly, Norah O’Donnell nodding along, and a national platform to rewrite the past and pretend everything’s fine.

It’s not. While Trump rebrands for prime time, families are struggling to buy groceries. U.S. citizens are being arrested by ICE. Democracy is hanging by a thread.

We don’t get to sit back and watch. We have to organize like hell.

Do something that makes tomorrow less terrifying.

In fight,

David Austin

Executive Director, Forward Blue

🙄 Democratic déjà vu

ICYMI: A group of Democratic elitists launched Project 2029 to turn the ship around, and Jon Stewart tore them a new one. He hits the nail on the head... this is a consultant’s fast pass to pad their salary until the next big race, and hold on tight to the strategies that delivered massive losses for us in 2024. Listen to Jon’s 3-minute breakdown here:

🗳️ Presidential hopefuls

The 2028 race has already started, whether we want to accept it or not… Several contenders have been seen across the country – from South Carolina to Iowa – holding events and townhalls to test their messages and raise name ID.

Here’s the concerning thing about the advice they’re receiving: former DNC chair Jamie Harrison is saying Democrats need to be more aware of their ‘nonverbal’ communication to break through, as voters are craving a fighter and a candidate who stands up to Trump. In reality, the data shows voters more than ever crave and respond the most to candidates with actual messaging on policy and themes with real-world impact in their daily lives.

This is what real “fighters” should do for us:

1. Lead with a signature, kitchen‑table proposal. They lean into something voters can repeat to their neighbor in one sentence. “Day‑one executive order to cap insulin at $35.” (Thanks Joe!)

2. Hammer a unifying theme that stitches it together: dignity in work, freedom from hate, an economy that taxes billionaires, not working families.

3. Show receipts. Name the bill you wrote, the budget you balanced, the strike line you walked. Authenticity is measurable. (Jeff Jackson does this excellently)

4. Use every stage to teach and listen. Campaigns that educate voters win loyalty that glossy ads can’t buy. And when you’re in front of those crowds, you have the opportunity for a conversation that can’t happen anywhere else.

That’s how you punch through MAGA noise: by proving you’ll change people’s day‑to‑day lives, not by perfecting your handshake grip.

With all due respect to the former chair, it’s time he enjoys his retirement and lets the next generation of campaigns run on policy, proof, and unapologetic Democratic values. Jamie’s “watch-your-handshake” masterclass gets a hearty 💩💩💩💩 / 5 on the Shitty‑Takes‑O‑Meter.

Remember this: Democrats won’t beat Trump by curating vibes… we’ll beat him by fixing what’s broken and daring voters to hold us accountable.

🏜️ Arizona keeps fighting

Unlike some out-of-touch journalists, I was glad to see Adelita Grijalva’s victory last week in AZ-7’s special election! It’s a sign that progressive values are prevailing. And even in a competitive primary with corrupt values, we can elect Democrats with values that truly represent the people.

While Grijalva’s district is a safe win for us, we can’t forget about Arizona. Republicans in the state are actively introducing new anti-choice legislation to roll back protections passed last year. If you can, consider joining the Arizona Democrats to register more voters from home!

💸 The king says: pay up!

The Department of Education (which still exists… for now!) confirmed it will reject nearly a third of backlog applications from Biden’s low‑payment SAVE Plan as Trump‑friendly courts froze it in June. This will lead to almost half a million Americans scrambling with a higher-than-expected bill on their plate. And while this is devastating news for many, some are hoping for a Hail Mary from Pam Bondi’s desk:

Until next time, keep the pressure on, keep the receipts handy, and never let the elite convince you that “vibes” count as a plan. We’ll be back soon with more fire—and more ways to win.

In fight,

David Austin

Executive Director, Forward Blue

We launched Forward Blue to change that.

This isn’t going to be your typical newsletter. We’re not here to fundraise or play nice with the people who keep fumbling our future. We’re here to build something better — and that starts by being honest about what went wrong, who’s responsible, and what we’re going to do about it.

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Here’s what you can expect from us

We’ll break down what actually happened in 2024, beyond the talking points.

We’ll expose the bloat, the egos, the missed opportunities, and the data malpractice.

We’ll highlight organizers and ideas that are getting it right — especially the ones being ignored.

We’ll show you how Gen Z can push the party to stop losing — and start fighting like the future depends on it.

Because it does.

Some of these posts will be hard to read. Some will piss people off. But all of them will tell the truth — and if you’re still reading this, I think you’re ready for it.

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3. Keep an eye out for upcoming events and updates. We’ve got big things coming.

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