Unorganized Territory

One thing about this project that I’m excited about is opportunity to speak with voters in Maine who defy easy categorization. The voters who don’t fit neatly into one of the funnels sketched out on whiteboards inside the beltway offices of high dollar political consulting, advertising and polling firms. Andre Davis is one of these voters. I met with Davis, who’s in his mid-40s, on a recent Sunday...

During a recent press gaggle on the south lawn of the White House, a reporter asked President Trump if Americans’ financial situations are part of his thinking as he negotiates on ending the Iran War. President Trump said denying Iran a nuclear weapon was the only thing on his mind. But recent polling suggests Trump—and incumbents and challengers actually on the ballot this fall—ought to be very c...

Graham Platner has been drawing large crowds since he entered the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate last year—and according to recent polls—is now leading Governor Janet Mills in the race to take on Senator Susan Collins. A few weeks ago, I drove up to Greenville on a rainy Monday evening to see Platner do a town hall in a school gymnasium. I was curious to see who would turn out for Platner in o...

It’s Unorganized Territory, the podcast where Maine voters have their say on the 2026 election and America’s political moment. I’m Jay Field. It’s Thursday April 9th. I met Wayne Farrin one afternoon as he was finishing up lunch with real estate colleagues at the Jefferson Market and General Store. As we chatted about the election, I quickly learned that Wayne has two other jobs besides being a re...

It’s been more than a month of war with Iran, and the Strait of Hormuz remains closed. High gas prices that drag on are the equivalent of political kryptonite. They mess with family budgets and can cause voters to spend less and punish incumbents at the polls. Unorganized Territory hit the 2026 State of Maine Sportsman’s Show at the Augusta Civic Center to informally sample the level of concern wi...

One morning, earlier this week, I paid a visit to the state capitol in Augusta. A one-day, mobile museum featuring original artifacts from American history was set up in the Hall of Flags, under the Capitol Dome, in honor the nation’s 250th birthday. A crowd was just starting to gather, as I introduced myself to a man standing near the exhibit table in a dark sweatshirt and ball cap, a 64-year-old...

Diane Langworthy has lived in Aroostook County almost continuously since the early 1980s. She’s retired now, after a long career as a pastor with the United Church of Christ, where she served parishes in Houlton and Fort Fairfield. As she looks to November, Diane has questions. Will high food prices make it more difficult to afford the large family meals she loves to cook for her sixteen grandchil...

We all have that friend, right? When the subject turns to politics, elections and the state of the world, they go there . This is the person who says out loud the stuff everyone around them is thinking, but not saying. This is Jason Ward. Jason went to the United States Merchant Marine Academy. He served as a naval engineering officer on a guided missile cruiser in the Persian Gulf and was the shi...

Joanne Mason follows Maine politics and elections closely. She’s chair of the Kennebec County Democratic Committee. Joanne lives in Readfield with her husband, Ken, the county’s elected sheriff. Readfield, like so many Maine communities, is narrowly divided politically. In 2024, its residents cast 900 votes for Kamala Harris and 875 votes for Donald Trump. You never know where a conversation will...

Unorganized Territory tells the story of the 2026 election in Maine, and our American political moment, through the voices of voters in the towns, villages and small municipalities at the heart of community life in the nation’s most rural state. Listen beginning March 10th on Substack, Apple, Spotify and other major podcast platforms. Get full access to Unorganized Territory at www.unorganizedterr...