Catherine Cooper lives in Union.

Maine’s U.S. Senate race highlights a fundamental flaw in how power is exercised in Augusta.

When Graham Platner dropped out following serious allegations of sexual assault and the subsequent withdrawal of Democratic endorsements, it was a necessary step that warranted serious handling. However, the process for choosing his replacement raises serious questions about voter representation in our state.

Rather than allowing the roughly 250,000 Mainers who voted in the June primary to weigh in through a public, democratic process, the state party structure is relying on an internal convention of approximately 600 delegates to select a replacement nominee.

A tiny fraction of the electorate, chosen through internal party channels, will effectively decide who appears on the November ballot. This means the decision rests entirely with the party apparatus itself, bypassing the regular voters who took the time to participate in June.

This decision reflects a systemic preference for top-down party control over direct public participation. It is precisely this kind of insider process that Republican Bobby Charles has challenged since day one of his campaign for governor.

This issue transcends traditional partisan divides. It isn’t just about Democrats versus Republicans. It is about whether state political systems serve ordinary citizens or a small circle in Augusta — where no-bid contracts for well-connected entities, special interest favors and lobbyist access too often take precedence over the public good.

That is why Charles pledged not to accept money from Augusta lobbyists or special interests — a commitment that neither independent Rick Bennett nor Democrat Hannah Pingree, both of whom have spent decades within the Augusta establishment, has been willing to make.

While these insider processes dominate political decision-making, everyday Mainers face real, unaddressed economic and community pressures. Mainers carry the highest property tax burden in the nation alongside state income taxes, meaning local homeowners hand over a larger share of their income than anywhere else in the country. 

At the same time, public education metrics show concerning declines. On the most recent National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), Maine fourth-graders scored lower in reading than students in Mississippi — a state Maine historically outperformed by a wide margin. Furthermore, visible signs of community distress, like discarded needles in local parks and on public streets, persist while closed-door deals continue unscrutinized. 

None of this is the fault of ordinary voters. It stems from a system that allows a select few to make choices for the majority, whether through party conventions picking nominees without a public vote, complex electoral maneuvering or no-bid contracts that receive no public oversight. The people running the show keep doing fine, while everyone else gets left behind.

Voters who value independence, transparency and a genuine voice in their government deserve a system that answers to them. Even Democrats frustrated by a lack of direct input in their own party’s representation can recognize that this is the same insider culture Bobby Charles aims to reform.

You don’t have to agree with Charles on every policy issue to recognize the value of an outsider willing to challenge a closed-door culture and push for a state government that remains directly accountable to the people of Maine.