The co-founder of a popular Maine brewery announced Wednesday that he is running for U.S. Senate in the state, adding another candidate — and another political newcomer — to the increasingly crowded field of Democrats vying to take on Republican Sen. Susan Collins.
Dan Kleban, the 48-year-old owner of the Maine Beer Company, said his campaign would focus relentlessly on cost-of-living issues and his own life story — he co-founded the brewery after being laid off during the Great Recession — to convince voters that Collins has lost touch with the average Maine resident.
“I think Democrats, in particular, we need to show people that we can move beyond the anger and we can move towards action — and paint a picture, and paint a vision for the future of this country that makes their lives better, that revives and restores the idea of the American dream,” Kleban told NOTUS. “Again, if you’re willing to work hard, you have an idea, you should be able to achieve it.”