Maine's Political Pulse

Maine's Political Pulse

Steve Mistler, Kevin Miller

Episodes 20
Avg. Duration 9m
Activity Highly Active
Since May 2025
Latest Episode May 2026

Publishing Details

Schedule
Monthly
Format
Episodic
Consistency
53%
Hosting
www.mainepublic.org

Contact & Outreach

About This Podcast

The Maine Political Pulse features news and analysis of politics and government by correspondents Steve Mistler and Kevin Miller. Both have extensive experience covering the Maine Legislature, U.S. Congress and state elections for newspapers like the Portland Press Herald and now for Maine Public. The Pulse is offered as a podcast and a newsletter and is excerpted for broadcast segments during All Things Considered and Morning Edition. You can subscribe to the newsletter here and you can find the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other streaming services.

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Recent Episodes

May 15, 2026: Looking to topple Bobby Charles, Maine's GOP primary candidates are turning to an unlikely tool

May 15, 2026 8m

While public polling in the contest has been scarce, Bobby Charles has drawn the most scrutiny from his rivals.

May 14, 2026: How the Democrats running to be Maine's next governor are trying to stand out from the crowd

May 14, 2026 11m

With the primary elections just a month away, the five Democrats running for Maine governor are each working to distinguish themselves in a race that’s been both issue-oriented and remarkably civil,…

March 19, 2026: In attacking Graham Platner, Maine Gov. Janet Mills hopes women will energize her U.S. Senate bid

Mar 19, 2026 10m

This week, Mills, who's been trailing Platner in publicly available polling, launched an attack ad that leans heavily on one of her strengths to try to expose a potential weakness in her opponent’s…

Feb. 20, 2026: All eyes are on this special House election in Lewiston. Here's why

Feb 20, 2026 9m

The fight for the House District 94 seat in Lewiston is a preview of — or perhaps an early skirmish in — this fall’s larger battle between the parties for state houses in Maine and across the country.

Jan. 16, 2026: Maine political leaders react as rumors swirl about ICE action

Jan 16, 2026 11m

The prospects of ramped-up federal immigration enforcement in Maine’s two largest cities elicited strong responses from state and local elected leaders that — not surprisingly — fell largely along…

Jan. 2, 2026: A conversation with Rep. Jared Golden on his decision not to run again

Jan 02, 2026 52m

The past year delivered a lot of big surprises and Rep. Jared Golden's sudden decision to abandon his reelection bid was among them. Maine Public chief politics correspondent Steve Mistler and fellow…

Dec. 12, 2025: Deep-pocketed groups are already spending on the Maine U.S. Senate race. Here’s an early guide

Dec 12, 2025 5m

AdImpact, an organization tracking political ads, estimates the Maine Senate contest could help draw more than $300 million in spending on congressional races in the state next year. That’s nearly a…

Nov. 14, 2025: Angus King broke ranks to help end the government shutdown. The backlash has been withering

Nov 14, 2025 7m

The longest federal government shutdown in U.S. history is over. But with little to show for it, the mostly Democratic politicians who ended the standoff now face intense backlash.

Nov. 5, 2025: Maine voters reject elections overhauls, enact red-flag gun bill

Nov 05, 2025 8m

The results from Tuesday’s referendum election highlighted new challenges for conservative activists hoping to use Maine’s citizens’ initiative process to implement long-sought changes to election…

Oct. 31, 2025: Here's your last-minute guide to Questions 1 and 2 on Tuesday's ballot

Oct 31, 2025 8m

On Tuesday, Maine voters will settle long-running policy debates over voter ID and guns during an off-year election that has been overshadowed by events in DC and primary contests that won't be…

Oct. 24, 2025: Will Graham Platner's commanding polling lead falter amid stream of opposition research releases?

Oct 24, 2025 8m

For nearly two months, Graham Platner’s bid for the U.S. Senate was marked by momentum and bravado as the political newcomer drew big crowds to his town halls and he channeled Democratic voters’…

Oct. 15, 2025: What Janet Mills' entrance means for the Senate race in Maine

Oct 16, 2025 15m

State House correspondent Kevin Miller spoke with political science professor Jim Melcher from the University of Maine-Farmington about Gov. Janet Mills' bid for the Democratic nomination to…

Oct. 15, 2025: With Question 2, voters will weigh in on whether Maine's current gun-confiscation law is sufficient

Oct 15, 2025 6m

Proponents of Question 2 argue that the existing law — often referred to as Maine’s yellow flag law — is a failed experiment that was not used to stop a gunman in Lewiston from killing 18 people and…

Oct. 6, 2025: Does Maine's Question 1 call for commonsense voter ID changes or will it undermine absentee voting?

Oct 06, 2025 9m

The competing narratives about Question 1’s true objectives and potential impacts are perhaps best epitomized by the names of the groups leading the fight on either side: Voter ID for ME and the Save…

Sept. 11, 2025: Maine's Democratic Senate primary is taking early shape

Sep 11, 2025 8m

There’s a bonafide primary contest among Democrats in the Maine race for the U.S. Senate. And one of the leading contestants, Gov. Janet Mills, isn't even an official candidate yet.

Aug. 21, 2025: Who is Graham Platner and why is he everywhere right now?

Aug 21, 2025 7m

Defeating Susan Collins is Graham Platner’s primary goal, but he and his campaign also signaled that they’re gearing up for a potential fight against power brokers in the Democratic National…

Aug. 14, 2025: GOP gubernatorial hopeful takes aim at one of Maine's Somali-American lawmakers

Aug 14, 2025 10m

The 2026 gubernatorial election is 16 months away, yet Republican hopeful Bobby Charles has already managed to break through the mostly routine campaign rollouts by the rest of the ever-growing field…

June 20, 2025: Wrapping up the legislative session

Jun 20, 2025 10m

The Maine Legislature wrapped up this year’s session on Wednesday night. Here's what they got done and still have left to do.

June 6, 2025: Maine lawmakers spar over 'red flag' proposal

Jun 06, 2025 9m

This week we’re gonna catch up on the latest from the State House where the Legislature is racing toward the end of the session. There’s a lot going on. But we’re going to focus on a few highlights,…

May 16, 2025: Rewriting Jan. 6, a possible primary challenge for Jared Golden

May 16, 2025 10m

Nearly one year after President Donald Trump’s supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol in the hopes of stopping certification of the 2020 election, the Maine House of Representatives debated a resolution…

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does Maine's Political Pulse have?

Maine's Political Pulse has published 20 episodes since May 2025, covering topics in News, Politics.

Is Maine's Political Pulse still active?

Maine's Political Pulse is currently highly active with new episodes monthly. Average episode length is 9m.

How do I contact Maine's Political Pulse for sponsorship or guest appearances?

Sign up on Grep.FM to access contact details for Maine's Political Pulse, including email and social media links.

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