Maine Replacement Field Shows Sharp Split on Israel

After anti-Israel Democrat Graham Platner's Maine Senate campaign collapsed, likely replacement contenders are drawing scrutiny over sharply different Israel records. Nirav Shah has backed an arms embargo on Israel and accused the country of genocide in Gaza, a charge Israel rejects as it fights Hamas after the October 7 massacre; Dan Kleban has said Israel has a right to defend itself and that disarming Israel would expose it to harm. Troy Jackson is backed by Sanders-aligned and DSA-linked figures, Shenna Bellows previously led Maine's Holocaust and Human Rights Center, and Jordan Wood has rejected AIPAC-linked money. The opening matters because a competitive U.S. Senate race could shape future Democratic support for the U.S.-Israel alliance.