Susan Collins

This year’s U.S. Senate election in Maine is arguably the most important race in the country, with control of the chamber hanging in the balance. But any Democrat who hopes to replace Susan Collins, the state’s long-serving Republican senator, must first win the race to replace Graham Platner, the gravel-voiced oyster farmer whose problematic (to put it mildly) past forced him to withdraw as the Democratic nominee. Here’s what you need to know about the 12 candidates in the running.

Twelve is … a lot!

Indeed. Last year, few Maine Democrats leapt to challenge Collins. But now the field is crowded, and the top contenders all fell short in other Maine races this year. Three initially ran for governor: Troy Jackson, a progressive former state senator; Nirav Shah, a former Biden CDC official; and Shenna Bellows, Maine’s secretary of state. Two others—a brewery owner named Dan Kleban and an environmental consultant named David Costello—unsuccessfully ran against Platner. Jordan Wood, a former congressional staffer, first ran for Senate, then for the House, and is now back in the Senate race. Other entrants include a trans woman named Ashley Webb and a gloriously bearded Marine vet. A 13th candidate—Paige Loud, a progressive social worker—has already dropped out.

OK cool, but I’m not memorizing a dozen names. Who are the favorites here?

That would probably be Jackson, Shah, and Bellows. The former candidates for governor each got tens of thousands of votes statewide. Kleban, though, is close to Gov. Janet Mills; he endorsed her after dropping out of the Senate race the first time. And people genuinely like his beer!

So how will Mainers choose a winner?

It’s a multistep process. The 12 candidates must submit at least 500 signatures, including 50 from at least half the state’s counties, by Tuesday. In the coming days, all 16 counties will hold meetings to elect a number of delegates based on that county’s 2024 primary turnout. Then, 601 total delegates—including 101 from the state party’s governing body—will convene on July 25 to vote on a nominee. Multiple elimination rounds will ensure a majority for the eventual winner.

That sounds kind of insidery. Is everyone happy with this process?

No. As a born-and-raised Mainer, I’ve followed many a social media thread in which former Platner supporters express suspicion that his replacement won’t reflect the progressive platform they voted for. In her withdrawal, Loud blasted the process as “a political chess match” aimed at delegates rather than voters. And while people who hadn’t registered with a party could vote in the primary that chose Platner, only registered Democrats can vote for or serve as delegates to replace him. But in fairness to the state party, which had to create this process on the fly, Platner’s implosion left no good options. State law gave it just weeks to pick someone else. And letting voters select delegates—and even become delegates themselves—seems like a genuine effort at inclusiveness and transparency.

What are the big issues in the race?

Beating Collins is the main one, but the candidates have different ideas about how to do that. Jackson, who ran for governor with Bernie Sanders’ endorsement, is positioning himself as the heir to Platner’s progressivism. Bellows, who got trounced by Collins in 2014, is banking on Maine’s increasingly blue lean for a better result this time. Kleban—like Platner, a first-time candidate—thinks an outsider has the best shot. The fatal shooting of a driver by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent in Maine this week has also become an issue. Several contenders have criticized Collins, who took credit after ICE said it would halt most traffic stops—only for Donald Trump to reverse that halt yesterday.

Where can I see these candidates in action?

As it happens, there’s a debate tonight. Bellows, Jackson, Shah, and Wood will square off at 7, followed by Kleban, Costello, Webb, and a former state representative at 8. And in a sign of how important this race is, CNN is teaming up with a Maine paper, the Bangor Daily News, to host another debate next week. So while the sprint to replace Platner will be short, it promises to be plenty intense.

Speaking of things happening tonight: As you may have heard, Trump will be giving a primetime speech, purportedly about allegations of foreign meddling in U.S. elections. In plain language, that means he’s probably going to ramble late into the night about a bunch of baseless conspiracy theories. I’ll be watching because I’m paid to; you, enviably, have other options:

A walk in someone else’s shoes: Specifically, Slate’s Rebecca Onion’s. Years ago, Rebecca became obsessed with barefoot shoes. Now, after much mockery and controversy, minimalist footwear is hotter than ever. But will our bodies thank us for it? Rebecca leads us on a journey to discover what’s behind the hype.

A workout for your brain: What’s an 11-letter word for the “Steering of steers”? Solve today’s crossword to strengthen your skills!

A whole new genre of celebrity divorce: Slate’s Scaachi Koul considers how Bunnie Xo, an archetypical “Cool Girl,” seems to have masterminded a new strategy for getting divorced in the public eye. But is it working? Scaachi isn’t so sure.

Some celebrity pet speculation. Has Taylor Swift, a self-proclaimed “childless cat lady,” gotten a new dog? Slate’s Heather Schwedel considers the evidence.

And with that, go forth and enjoy your night! ’Til tomorrow.