Scandal-Scarred Progressive Graham Platner Wins Maine Democratic Senate Primary
Maine Democrats nominated scandal-scarred Jew-hating veteran and oyster farmer Graham Platner to take on Susan Collins. Now comes the real fight.
Graham Platner, a 41-year-old oyster farmer, harbormaster, and combat veteran, won the Maine Democratic Senate primary Tuesday night by a commanding margin, surviving a weeks-long barrage of damaging revelations to clinch the nomination and set up one of the most closely watched Senate races of the 2026 cycle.
Platner had 77.7% of the vote to 16.7% for Governor Janet Mills, who remained on the ballot despite suspending her campaign in April. He clinched the nomination at 9:25 p.m. with just 8% of precincts reporting, according to the Associated Press. Mills finished second, followed by Brunswick resident David Costello.
Platner will now face Republican Senator Susan Collins in November. Democrats see the race as a top opportunity to flip a Republican-held seat and a must-win as the party tries to claim control of the Senate.
Collins, first elected in 1996 and chair of the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee, is the last Republican senator from New England. Maine backed Democrat Kamala Harris over Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential race.
A Campaign That Survived Everything
The week preceding the primary was marked by a steady stream of revelations about Platner's past, once again putting his insurgent candidacy on the defensive and overshadowing his working-class populist message.
His candidacy has been clouded by a series of controversies, including reports of sexually explicit messages exchanged with women while he was married and allegations from a former girlfriend of physical intimidation. Old online posts also surfaced in which he appeared to endorse political violence and make remarks dismissive of military service. He also apologized for posts calling all police "bastards," writing that rural white Americans were "stupid and racist," and using homophobic language. His campaign was also rocked by revelations that a tattoo he had resembled a Nazi symbol, which he subsequently covered up.
Platner has acknowledged his rocky past, attributing much of it to his disillusionment after serving in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan, while also accusing political opponents of using it to distract from a policy agenda that threatens the establishment.
In his acceptance speech, Platner acknowledged voters' concerns, pledging to earn their "trust, faith and support" over the course of the campaign.
Who Is Platner
Platner runs an oyster farm on Frenchman Bay and serves as harbormaster in Sullivan, Maine. He has centered his campaign on the rising cost of living, housing affordability, and healthcare, calling for Medicare for All and breaking up health monopolies. He secured early endorsements from Senator Bernie Sanders and Senator Elizabeth Warren. Mills, for her part, has remained mostly quiet during the closing weeks of the race and has not yet endorsed him.