Maine Brewer Enters the Crowded Democratic Field to Oust Susan Collins

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.”

Kleban joins a field that includes former Capitol Hill staff Jordan Wood and Graham Platner, himself also a newcomer to campaigns whose aggressive critiques of the Democratic Party and unabashed progressive platform earned national attention and the endorsement of Sen. Bernie Sanders.

All of the candidates, however, are waiting to see whether Gov. Janet Mills enters the race. The two-term governor has said she is “seriously considering” a bid, and would likely have the enthusiastic backing of Democrats in Washington if she did.

Kleban, who has a picture with Mills on his Instagram account, praised her as a “great governor” but indicated he would make a decision about the future of his campaign only after she announced her plans.

“If she decides to run, we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it,” Kleban said. “That’s just premature though.”

Maine is widely considered one of Democrats’ best hopes for a Senate pickup opportunity next year, although the moderate Collins has outperformed other Republican candidates in the state for decades.

Kleban said he considered himself a pragmatic, “get-shit-done” Democrat, citing his experience as a small businessman and his interest in making Democrats the party that helps build again, including housing and a rural health care network.

He said Collins’ vote to confirm Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh was what angered him the most about the Republican incumbent, especially after the court overturned the constitutional right to an abortion.

Kleban emphasized, though, that he would be open to compromise as a lawmaker, adding that his experience as a small business owner taught him no one person holds all the good ideas.

“We’ve had enough of the performative politics and trying to get clicks by saying the most outrageous things,” he said. “It might sound good, it might generate some press. But at the end of the day, it’s not doing anything to lower people’s grocery bills, obviously. It’s not doing anything to bring down the cost of housing, health care and education.”