Democrats’ predicament with Graham Platner is one of the party’s own making | Maine
The Democratic establishment’s initial bet on Janet Mills as its best hope for a coveted Senate seat in Maine now looks like a clear miscalculation; This has left the party stuck in a much riskier general election battle than it had ever anticipated. Party leaders helped create the impasse they faced by rallying behind the seventy-year-old governor and keeping Graham Platner on the sidelines for months.
Platner’s primary victory on Tuesday means the now closely watched race will be a test of courage for Democrats in the long run to November. A situation where either outcome would have far-reaching consequences for the party.
The turmoil comes as Democrats are forced to brush aside the 41-year-old’s numerous scandals: problematic online posts, a veiled tattoo that resembles a Nazi symbol, sexting with women outside his marriage and allegations of violent behavior in past relationships that he denies. The party apparatus, including many progressive lawmakers, will have to endorse Platner while also rebuking Republicans for ignoring Donald Trump’s decades of indiscretion.
Looming over all of this is the prospect of more opposition polls that could test the resolve of Maine voters and undermine belief that Platner can actually defeat Republican incumbent Susan Collins, who is seeking a sixth term in office.
But Platner’s rise did not happen in a vacuum. His low-key, low-key brand of populism initially seemed like the perfect cure for the perpetual identity crisis Democrats have been grappling with since 2024. Platner’s appeal only grew as Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer and other top officials threw their weight behind Mills, leaving the political newcomer less scrutinized and tested than a typical party-backed candidate.
In many ways, Platner is the perfect anti-establishment tool for Democrats in a state where Trump has lost the last three elections. Voters appear disappointed with Collins’ moderate tone, considering the senator still supports some of the president’s priorities. Platner captivated crowds by skewering career politicians on both sides of the aisle; He blasted their self-serving and out-of-touch platitudes while focusing on Mainers who can’t afford healthcare, gas, food and housing during Trump’s second term in the White House.
“Susan Collins never met a war she didn’t like,” the former Marine said to applause during her victory speech at Blue Hill this week. “I’ve been supporting endless wars since I was young, and I know I’ve had to fight in two.”
The Democratic senatorial campaign committee (DSCC) moved to support Platner after Mills suspended his campaign in April due to dwindling financial resources. Following Tuesday’s victory, Schumer and DSCC chair Kirsten Gillibrand reaffirmed their support for the candidate but focused their statements less on Platner and more on the need to unseat Collins as the best way to recapture the Senate.
While his momentum reveals the lackluster energy around the party’s first choice, Platner’s mounting scandals dominate all discussion of the Senate race. Whether he wins or loses, the Democratic leadership will have to answer for their ill-judged instincts in running Mills in the first place.
The road to November will undoubtedly be a vindictive one, as Republicans continue to portray Platner as little more than a liberal heretic. Conservative Pac backing Collins re-election released new ads branding the oysterman and war veteran “too risky for Maine.” Politico first reported on the points where voters read Platner’s resurfaced online comments, including where he once minimized sexual assault.
Some local operatives also suspect that the nearly 20% of votes Mills received in the primary will not automatically switch to Platner; They note that the number of moderate Democratic women willing to do whatever it takes to unseat Collins has dwindled in the cloud of controversy.
But sincerity has become a key currency for Platner in explaining his growing list of revelations. He specifically reframed his behavior by attributing these to undiagnosed PTSD, alcohol, and personal failings. For many, this redemption arc resonates, leading voters to support him because of his flaws rather than in spite of them.
“If Democrats really want to win again, if they want a country that serves working people, then they need to elect candidates who are actually in touch with the real world,” said Corbin Trent, a former campaign aide for Bernie Sanders and executive director of the progressive Super Pac, A Fight Worth Having. “If we continue to demand total perfection from our candidates with clean backgrounds, we will continue to elect the same insensitive corporate salespeople who have never actually experienced what it is like to struggle in real-world America.”
But Platner’s town hall enthusiasts are only part of the equation. Maine’s distinctive, unaffiliated voters (who make up nearly a third of the state’s electorate) pose a greater challenge. They may skip the lawn signs and hold their noses to vote for Collins, valuing her seniority in the Senate and the federal funds she provides as allowances for a risky unknown.
