Sen. Angus King, an independent who caucuses with the Democrats, has served two terms in the Senate so far. He was also governor of Maine for eight years. (Campaign photo)
U.S. Sen Angus King officially launched his reelection campaign on Wednesday, emphasizing his centrist political views and arguing for the need for compromise in the Senate.
King, an 80-year-old independent who caucuses with the Democrats, has served two terms in the Senate so far. He was also governor of Maine for eight years.
“I’m running for Senate again for two main reasons. One is there is a lot left to do. The second is we’re losing the middle in the Senate,” King said in his announcement video.
King said a lot of centrist senators who helped broker deals for legislation on pandemic relief, environmental protection, expanding health care for veterans and the bipartisan infrastructure bill are departing.
Although he didn’t mention them by name, King was likely referring to members such as Democrat Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona and Republican Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah.
Such lawmakers were at the center of negotiating legislative deals during the Democratic majorities at the beginning of the Biden administration. However, Manchin and Sinema in particular also frustrated many members of the Democratic Party by refusing to back an expanded budget bill pushed by President Joe Biden that would have made historic investments in the social safety net and fighting climate change. A significantly pared down bill, the Inflation Reduction Act, was eventually approved.
The U.S. House has also seen an exodus of its more centrist members, particularly within the Republican Party, which has seen significant in-fighting between more extremist lawmakers and those willing to work across the aisle.
“I’m running because I think I have a role to play, to bridge the divide, to listen to people, to bring people together and to compromise to solve these difficult issues,” King said on Wednesday.
King had previously indicated in December that he intended to seek another term but waited until Wednesday to kick off his campaign. The incumbent independent will likely face former Maine GOP chair Demi Kouzounas and Democrat David Costello in the November general election, as both are running uncontested in the June 11 primary contest. Jason Cherry, a retired FBI agent from Unity who is not affiliated with a party, has also qualified for the November ballot.
King easily won his first campaign for the Senate in 2012 and had little trouble getting reelected in 2018.
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