Craft Brewer To Run for U.S. Senate from Maine
We don’t typically post purely political stories, but a beverage industry CEO today launched a campaign for U.S. Senate, challenging Republican incumbent Susan Collins in Maine.
Dan Kleban, a Democrat, is a co-founder and co-owner (with his brother) of Maine Beer Co., a small craft brewer in Freeport. He says Mainers have lost confidence in Sen. Collins ahead of her re-election race next year, so he’s joining a crowded field of Democrats in a state that voted for then-Vice President Kamala Harris in the past presidential election.
There’s another semi-foodie in the race: oyster farmer Graham Platner, an Army and Marine veteran, according to the local NBC News affiliate. Also Jordan Wood, who was chief of staff to Katie Porter, D-Calif., when she was in the House; and David Costello, a former official with the U.S. Agency for International Development and the Maryland state government. Democratic Gov. Janet Mills also reportedly is considering a run.
Kleban acknowledged Collins has done some good, according to NBC News, but he accused her of having lost touch with Mainers, pointing to her votes to confirm Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh in 2020 and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Health & Human Services secretary this year.
About the Author
Dave Fusaro
Editor in Chief
Dave Fusaro has served as editor in chief of Food Processing magazine since 2003. Dave has 30 years experience in food & beverage industry journalism and has won several national ASBPE writing awards for his Food Processing stories. Dave has been interviewed on CNN, quoted in national newspapers and he authored a 200-page market research report on the milk industry. Formerly an award-winning newspaper reporter who specialized in business writing, he holds a BA in journalism from Marquette University. Prior to joining Food Processing, Dave was Editor-In-Chief of Dairy Foods and was Managing Editor of Prepared Foods.