Maine’s Senate Race Is Set
Graham Platner won Maine’s Democratic Senate primary on June 9, defeating a crowded field that included more establishment-backed candidates. He will face Republican Sen. Susan Collins in November in what most election analysts consider the most competitive Senate race in the country.
Collins has never been this weak at home. Her job approval among Maine voters has fallen to 38%, a record low, down from 47% in late 2024. Only 36% of Maine voters view her favorably, while 53% view her unfavorably.
Platner Leads Collins in Every Poll
Three independent surveys taken in the weeks before the primary all show Platner ahead. The Hill’s Emerson College poll had him up 9 points, 51% to 42%. Pan Atlantic Research showed a 7-point edge, 48% to 41%. UMass Lowell put the lead at 5 points, 48% to 43%.
38% job approval for Collins in Maine — a career low, down 9 points from late 2024.
Collins has survived competitive races before by positioning herself as a moderate willing to cross the aisle. That positioning has become harder to sustain. She has continued to vote with the national Republican Party on judicial confirmations, blocked the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, and supported budget frameworks that cut healthcare and social programs, all while Maine has moved steadily left.
The Scandals He Carried Into the General
Platner’s primary win did not come without real cost to the party. The New York Times published a story in which former partners described his behavior as “toxic” and said he does not respect women. He reportedly sent sexually explicit messages to multiple women early in his marriage, which his wife discovered in spring 2025.
A tattoo that resembled a Nazi symbol drew a separate round of national coverage. Democratic leaders remain visibly divided on whether these controversies will hurt him in November.
His working-class message cut through anyway. Platner is a Marine veteran and oyster farmer from the Maine coast whose campaign ran on economic populism and taking on the corporate donors who have funded Collins for three decades. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Ro Khanna backed him publicly and framed the controversies as part of a redemption story. Maine Democrats chose him.
What This Race Means
Maine is one of a small number of genuinely competitive Senate seats that will decide whether Democrats retake the majority. A Platner win in November flips a seat Collins has held since 1997. Senate control affects everything: judicial confirmations, the fate of healthcare and voting rights legislation, and oversight of the executive branch.
Collins is widely described as the most vulnerable Republican incumbent senator in 2026. The collapse of her approval reflects a 30-year career that has increasingly diverged from her constituents.
What You Can Do
- Maine voters: Check your registration and polling location before November at Maine.gov/sos/cec/elec.
- Contact Collins now: She is still the sitting senator. Use the letter below to demand she support the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act before November.
- Support the campaign: Platner is running in an expensive media market against a well-funded incumbent. National support matters.
Update, June 10, 2026: On primary day, BBC News interviewed Maine Democratic voters who backed Graham Platner despite questions about his character. Multiple voters described their support using the phrase “there is no one else,” pointing to the absence of a credible Democratic alternative in the race.
Platner had apologized in early 2025 for a tattoo that resembled a Nazi symbol, a disclosure that drew national attention in the weeks before the primary. His nomination sets up a general election contest against Republican incumbent Susan Collins, who entered the cycle at a record-low 38% approval rating.
The BBC report adds texture to why Platner consolidated Democratic support despite the misconduct allegations: many voters framed their choice as structural rather than enthusiastic. The general election is scheduled for November 2026.
Update, June 12, 2026: Graham Platner won the Maine Democratic Senate primary Tuesday with over 70 percent of the vote, per an Associated Press call made with 8 percent of ballots counted. Gov. Janet Mills, who had suspended active campaigning in late April, remained on the ballot and drew roughly 19 percent of primary voters.
Platner’s win followed a week of damaging disclosures. A New York Times report published days before the primary included an allegation from a former girlfriend, currently a Republican operative, that he physically restrained her overnight, which he denied. He had previously admitted to carrying a Nazi iconography tattoo — removed in October 2025 — and to making rape apology posts on Reddit.
Platner now advances to a November general election against incumbent Sen. Susan Collins, whose Maine approval has fallen to a record-low 38 percent. Intercept reporter Noah Hurowitz described the general contest as “a much more pitched battle” than the primary, with Platner’s progressive economic message targeting voters in a state with high rates of poverty, substance use disorder, and veteran population.
Update, July 7, 2026: Politico reported Monday that Graham Platner faces a sexual assault allegation, which he has denied. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee said it will not spend additional money in Maine until Platner withdraws. Bernie Sanders and a string of senior Democrats have pulled their endorsements.
Under Maine state law, Platner must end his campaign by 5 p.m. ET on July 13 for Democrats to place a new candidate on the November ballot. That would give the Maine Democratic Party until 5 p.m. ET on July 27 to select a replacement nominee.
Former Maine CDC deputy director Nirav Shah, Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, and former state senate president Troy Jackson have each been named as potential replacements and each publicly called on Platner to step down. Maine Democratic Party executive director Devon Murphy-Anderson said any selection process will be “open, transparent, and inclusive.”
Update, July 9, 2026: Graham Platner suspended his Maine Senate campaign on July 9 following misconduct allegations he denied, setting off a Democratic replacement process governed by two firm deadlines. Maine state law requires Platner to formally withdraw by July 13, and the state party must name a replacement candidate by July 27.
At least five Democrats have entered or signaled bids for the nomination: Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, who lost to Collins in 2014; public health expert Nirav Shah, who finished second in this year’s Democratic governor’s primary; former state senator Troy Jackson; ex-congressional staffer Jordan Wood; and Maine Beer Company founder Dan Kleban. Governor Janet Mills, who suspended her primary campaign after Platner gained momentum, had not confirmed a reentry as of publication.
Maine Democrats plan to hold a nominating convention with an estimated 600 delegates to select Platner’s replacement. Platner said he would not formally withdraw until he is satisfied the state party commits to an open selection process, leaving the July 13 deadline unresolved. (BBC News)