PORTLAND, Maine — Maine’s Democratic Senate nominee, Graham Platner, expressed triumph on Wednesday, reflecting on his ability to weather a series of scandals that many thought would end his political career. These controversies involved a Nazi tattoo, questionable text messages, and a notorious “porta s—ter” incident. Despite these hurdles, Platner emerged victorious, leaving behind critics who prematurely declared his campaign over.
Interestingly, even the GOP’s Senate campaign committee has acknowledged Platner’s momentum, cautioning that he currently holds a lead in the race.
Platner shared his thoughts on the morning show “Morning Joe” on MS NOW, stating, “Since this campaign began, political analysts and so-called experts have repeatedly told us that it was the end of the line. Yet, we’ve defied the odds and continued forward.” His remarks highlighted the resilience and unexpected success of his campaign.
In the Democratic primary, Platner secured a resounding victory with 72% of the vote. Despite Maine Governor Janet Mills suspending her campaign in April, she still garnered 19.5% of the vote, according to recent tallies, which account for 81% of the votes counted so far.
Platner easily clinched the Democratic nod for Maine Senate, with 72%, though some 19.5% of Dem voters went to Maine Gov. Janet Mills, who suspended her campaign in April, according to the latest numbers, which include 81% of the vote counted.
The victory came as Maine Democratic primary voters resoundingly shrugged off the litany of scandals against him, including as extramarital sexting, his alleged “unsettling” behavior towards past girlfriends, a tattoo on his chest that resembled a Nazi symbol, his incendiary Reddit history, and more.
The Post had spoken with dozens of Platner supporters during the primary cycle, all of whom stressed the importance of defeating incumbent Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine).
“What they forget is that it’s that they’ve been counting out working people for so long that all of us down here in the real world, we want to see a different kind of politics now,” Platner said of the “political geniuses” counting him out.
The Marine veteran, who has repeatedly claimed he has no more skeletons in his closet before more scandals emerged, insisted that “there’s nothing out there that’s actually concerning.”
“People will make everything seem very concerning, because that’s what people do in politics,” he said.
Platner had given a message about redemption during his victory speech Tuesday, hailing his life’s story as living proof that people can change.
Meanwhile, despite the myriad scandals against Platner, the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) issued an urgent memo underscoring how formidable he is in a general election.
The official Senate GOP campaign arm noted that Platner raised $200,000 the day after the bombshell New York Times story broke detailing his alleged “unsettling” behavior towards women and he has consistently outraised Collins.
“The political fundamentals in Maine remain challenging, and it is a fatal mistake to assume Platner is too damaged to win. He is currently leading. Vice President Harris won the state by 7 points, and the National Democrats view this as their only path to regaining control,” the NRSC argued in the memo.
“Senator Collins has won tough races before and can win this one, but only if we meet this moment with total urgency,” it added. “This race can be won, but it will not win itself.”
Winning Maine is paramount to Democrats’ mission of retaking the Senate in 2026. The NRSC described it as the “lynchpin” race of the cycle.
Platner currently has a 7.4 percentage point advantage over Collins, according to the latest RealClearPolitics aggregate of polls.