Dozens of Maine delegates are headed to the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee this weekend, with party members feeling as though they have the political winds at their backs as they prepare to formally nominate former president Donald Trump.

Delegates and other Republican leaders who spoke to the Press Herald were generally supportive of the party’s decision to soften its hardline national platform on abortion, despite criticism from some Maine anti-abortion activists and delegations from other states that hope to mount a challenge at the convention. And they had no clear favorites when it comes to Trump’s choice for a running mate, which he’s expected to reveal early next week.

Republican Sen. Susan Collins will not be in Milwaukee, telling the Press Herald in a brief phone interview Friday that she hasn’t attended most national conventions and instead prefers to spend her time in Maine. She said it has nothing to do with Trump, who she has said will not get her vote in November.

“Sometimes I have attended, but more often than not, I have not attended, regardless of who the nominee was,” Collins said. “I just think my time is better spent doing my job as senator and, during campaign years, campaigning and going around the state.”

Maine Republicans interviewed this week were buoyed by a turning of the political tides against Democrats. President Biden is fending off calls for him to drop out of the race after a terrible debate performance two weeks ago, which put him behind Trump in the polls and under intense scrutiny by the media, fellow Democrats and donors.

The Democratic in-fighting comes as Republicans nationally have closed their fundraising disadvantage and adopted a platform that no longer calls for a national ban on abortion, a position that was considered a major general election liability. The move angered the religious right, but it put the party more in line with public opinion on the hot-button issue.

Josh Tardy, who serves as one of two Maine representatives on the Republican National Committee, said in a phone interview from Milwaukee that Republicans are feeling optimistic, especially after closing the fundraising gap with Democrats.

“The mood is great from a Republican’s perspective,” Tardy said. “Obviously Republicans look at polls. And with current events, we look at that with a sense of optimism. But we absolutely recognize there’s a long way between now and Election Day. There’s a lot of work to do.”

It’s a stark change from what was expected only weeks ago, when Trump was convicted by a jury on 34 felonies for falsifying business records to conceal hush money payments to a porn star with whom he allegedly had an affair.

Trump was originally scheduled to be sentenced on Thursday – only days before the convention begins Monday. But his sentencing was delayed after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in support of Trump’s argument that presidents have immunity for official acts as president.

House Minority Leader Billy Bob Faulkingham, R-Winter Harbor, believes the recent turn of events has put the entire state in play for Trump, who won one of the state’s four electoral college votes in each of the last two elections but fell short of winning all four.

“I think that Trump’s way up right now and as long as he keeps going the way he’s going, he’s going to have a big win in November,” Faulkingham said. “I think he could potentially win the statewide vote of the state of Maine.”

Tardy said the convention is still focused on a Trump versus Biden race, but with a steady drip of Democrats and high-profile donors calling on the president to step aside, delegates are gaming out other possible opponents.

“We’re no different from everybody else. We’re watching the news and trying to figure it all out,” Tardy said. “Right now Joe Biden’s the candidate, and the plan is being implemented with him in mind, but it’s absolutely a topic of discussion. If not Joe Biden, then who?”

Biden insists he is staying in the race, but speculation continues that he could hand the nomination to Vice President Kamala Harris.

“I think that the sense from the national committee is we’d very much welcome Kamala Harris as an opponent,” Tardy said, pointing to polling in swing states that could decide the election. “We feel fairly confident about that match-up.”

Maine is sending 20 delegates and 17 alternates to the national convention, which is scheduled for Monday through Thursday. The delegation consists of 11 at-large members, three from each congressional district and three automatic delegates: Tardy, outgoing RNC committeewoman Ellie Espling and Maine Republican Party Chairman Joel Stetkis.

But who exactly is filling all those posts was not clear on Friday. Unlike Maine Democrats, who provided a full list of their 32 delegates to the Press Herald last week, Republicans either did not respond to requests for the list or said they did not have access to it.

PLATFORM SOFTENS ANTI-ABORTION STANCE

When Republicans gather in Wisconsin next week, they will finalize a new party platform – one that has been stripped of specific policy details, softens the party’s opposition to abortion and was approved by the Trump campaign.

The new platform, which aligns with Trump’s positions on immigration, trade and foreign policy, removes language affirming traditional marriage between a man and a woman, and calling for a federal ban on abortion.

Abortion is only mentioned once in the new platform – on the penultimate page. It says, “We will oppose Late Term Abortion while supporting mothers and policies that advance Prenatal Care, access to Birth Control, and IVF (fertility treatments).”

The changes upset anti-abortion conservatives, including Trump’s former Vice President, Mike Pence, who called it “a profound disappointment to the millions of pro-life Republicans that have always looked to the Republican Party to stand for life.”

The Christian Civic League of Maine urged its supporters to contact the RNC’s platform committee last week to urge them to keep their firm anti-abortion stance. “The elites that run the Republican National Committee foisted this upon the party without giving it a chance to reflect what this party actually stands for,” it said in a written statement.

Now the group is advocating for the platform to be amended from the floor.

Demi Kouzounas, who is challenging incumbent Angus King for his U.S. Senate seat, chairs the Maine delegation going to the convention and was part of the RNC’s platform committee. A campaign spokesperson said she supports the changes.

“Demi believes in an inclusive big tent Republican party and is pleased to see some changes to this effect,” spokesperson Jack Cianchette said in a written statement. “However, in the Senate, Demi will be bound only by what is in the best interest of Maine.”

The changes seem to put the national platform at odds with the state platform adopted by Maine Republicans at their convention in April. That platform, which recognizes “the sanctity of human life – from conception to natural death.”

Rep. Laurel Libby, R-Auburn, organized grassroots opposition to efforts to expand access to abortion services in Maine. Libby, who is attending the convention as a delegate, said she is still reviewing the new national platform, but winnowing a 67-page document to 16 pages was “a huge change.”

Libby said the platform should be “bigger than one presidential candidate” or any election cycle, especially as the party looks to its future.

“That’s certainly one of the things I’m looking at,” Libby said. “Does it transcend one candidate?”

Other Republicans and delegates accepted the platform changes, acknowledging the new abortion landscape since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned protections enshrined by Roe v. Wade, allowing states to enact restrictions and outright bans.

Ron Russell, a Kennebunkport Republican challenging Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-1st District, said he is OK with the change. Russell isn’t a delegate to the convention but said he will be in attendance as a guest.

“I support (Trump’s) decision to not enact any federal legislation to put a time limit on abortion or to ban it totally,” Russell said. “Those decisions belong at the state level. So I agree with his approach on that.”

James Duprie, a Lebanon Republican who serves on the Maine Republican Party’s executive committee and is attending the convention as an alternate delegate, believes the platform represents a compromise.

“I think the softening we’re seeing in the platform is a reflection of reality – this is where we are as a nation,” Duprie said. “Different states are going to have different standards because the court returned it to the states.”

Faulkingham, the state House Republican leader who also opposed Democratic abortion bills, said the platform turns the tables on Democrats, who have worked to expand abortion access since the Supreme Court ruling. He said most people support first-trimester abortions, but support fades later in pregnancy.

“That’s just where the people are at, and I think a lot of the people who are staunchly pro-life understand that,” said Faulkingham, who is not attending the convention. “It’s become the Democrats who have the extreme view of abortion.”

VEEP-STAKES

The shortlist of candidates being considered for vice president appears to include Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio, and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum.

None of the people interviewed by the Press Herald expressed a strong opinion about whom Trump should select as a vice president.

Faulkingham said he supported Vivek Ramaswamy, who came up short in the presidential primary, but thinks Trump will select Burgum, whom he described as a successful businessman and governor. “He’d be a great choice,” Faulkingham said.

Tardy, the outgoing RNC committeeman, said all three people rumored to be on the shortlist are “very capable.” But he also joked that Trump’s pick may not even be included on the rumored shortlist.

“President Trump is so unpredictable that the shortlist may be a big joke,” he said with a laugh.

Russell, the 1st District challenger, said he would be fine with Rubio, Vance or Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, who also has been discussed as a contender, though he added that he personally would like to see former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo selected because of his broad experience.

Collins doesn’t have any preferences for vice president and noted that the rumored shortlist keeps changing.

“It’s really a decision to be made by President Trump and I suspect he will make the decision within the next couple of days and it will be closely held until then,” she said. “I suspect the potential nominee doesn’t even know.”

EXPECTATIONS

Delegates were excited and optimistic heading into the convention – and they hoped that nothing would happen in Milwaukee to stem the party’s momentum.

Duprie said he has always wanted to attend a national convention.

“I’m excited,” Duprie said. “It’s a kind of a formality. We all know what’s going to come out of it. I guess my hope would be to go in and not be surprised. We don’t need anything else to disrupt the process right now.”

Libby is looking forward to representing the voices and values of Maine Republicans.

“I think many of us expected for this to be a tumultuous election year and that’s certainly true,” Libby said. “From this point forward, I am expecting the unexpected.”

Staff Writer Rachel Ohm contributed to this report. 

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