Overview
- Graham Platner has emerged as the presumptive Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Maine after Gov. Janet Mills suspended her campaign, positioning him to face long‑time Republican Sen. Susan Collins.
- The campaign has been nationalized by high‑profile progressive support, including Sen. Bernie Sanders, who campaigned with Platner on the 'Fighting Oligarchy' tour and energized large volunteer rallies.
- Platner’s bid remains overshadowed by a covered chest tattoo resembling the Nazi SS Totenkopf and resurfaced inflammatory Reddit posts, controversies he says he regrets and has apologized for.
- Media and outreach missteps have compounded the trouble: a 15‑second ad criticizing Red Sox ownership was pulled midgame by NESN for unauthorized third‑party content, and Barstool founder Dave Portnoy publicly rejected the campaign after sharing outreach emails.
- Prominent Democrats are split over his candidacy, with Rep. Jake Auchincloss calling the tattoo and Platner’s comments 'personally disqualifying,' while other leaders defend second chances, leaving the seat both winnable and politically fraught given Collins’s history of outperforming polls.