Platner's Campaign Challenge
Maine Democratic Senate Nominee Graham Platner Faces Scandals as Campaign Shifts Focus to State's Future
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Graham Platner won Maine's Democratic Senate primary on June 9 with roughly 72% of the vote, according to Al Jazeera. But his victory came with a mountain of baggage — misogynistic online posts, a Nazi tattoo, sexually explicit texts to women outside his marriage, and an allegation of physical abuse from a former girlfriend.
Now Platner must convince Maine voters — and a fractured Democratic Party — that the general election should be about the future, not his past. He faces incumbent Sen. Susan Collins, a five-term Republican whose favorability has fallen to just 36%, according to UMass Lowell.
Scandals That Dogged Platner Through the Primary
The controversies piled up fast. In February, Bangor Daily News reported that Platner had a "Totenkopf" tattoo — an SS skull symbol used by Nazi forces — on his chest. Platner said he did not know it was a Nazi symbol when he got it. He has since covered it with a different design.
In late May, The Wall Street Journal and The Guardian reported that Platner's wife, Amy Gertner, told campaign staff in 2025 about sexually explicit texts he sent to other women during their marriage. Then, on June 4, The New York Times published an investigation that included an allegation from ex-girlfriend Lyndsey Fifield, who called Platner "literally abusive" and "cavalierly contemptuous" of women.
Democrats Split Sharply Over Whether Platner Should Stay In
The day after Platner's win, Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) called on him to drop out. "How can you accept somebody who abused women?" Gottheimer said, according to CNN via The Guardian. "The best action would be for him to leave."
But progressive heavyweights are standing firm. Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Ro Khanna have kept their endorsements. Khanna even traveled to Maine days before the primary to show support, according to The Nation. Platner himself said, "I've made mistakes in my life... mistakes that I regret... people can change," according to PBS.
Republicans Load Up on Attack Ads, But Polling Stays Tight
The National Republican Senatorial Committee has already launched ads featuring women criticizing Platner. A pro-Collins group called Pine Tree Results PAC has raised $12.7 million to fund attacks, according to The Nation. Republicans are also hitting Platner for attending the elite Hotchkiss prep school, trying to undercut his working-class image.
Despite all of it, a UMass Lowell/YouGov poll taken May 13–26 showed Platner leading Collins 48% to 43%, according to UMass Lowell. Paradoxically, Platner led among women 54% to 35% — likely driven by voter anger over Collins' role in confirming justices who overturned Roe v. Wade.
Maine Could Be the Senate's Tipping Point in November
Democrats currently hold 45 Senate seats to Republicans' 53, according to Ballotpedia. Flipping Maine is seen as their single best pickup opportunity. Analysts say that with seats in Iowa, Texas, and Alaska also competitive, Maine could decide which party controls the chamber.
Platner raised $4.7 million in Q4 2025 alone, according to Axios. Expect the general election to be the most expensive in Maine's history. A Platner loss would likely shift blame to the progressive wing of the party and push Democratic recruiters back toward moderate candidates in future cycles.
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