Democrats, determined to claw back control of the U.S. Senate, are increasingly banking on Maine nominee Graham Platner to unseat long-serving Republican Sen. Susan Collins in what is shaping up to be one of the most contentious races of the 2026 cycle.
Platner secured the Democratic nomination in June, defeating Gov. Janet Mills after she suspended her campaign in April amid a cascade of scandals that would have ended most political careers. According to RedState, those scandals included revelations of a Nazi tattoo, fabrications about his personal history, the resurfacing of vile Reddit posts in which he engaged in sexual assault victim shaming, joked about self-pleasuring, and mocked a fellow war veteran for being shot and wounded by the Taliban.
The Democratic hopeful has also been dogged by a separate wave of damaging stories that broke in May and early June, this time focused on his personal conduct after his marriage in November 2023. Reports detailed that he had been sexting with as many as a dozen women and faced disturbing allegations from a former girlfriend, who accused him of physical abuse and controlling behavior.
With the primary behind them, both campaigns have shifted into full general election mode, and the contrast in strategies could not be clearer. Collins is emphasizing her long record of service and tangible results for Maine, while Platner is attempting to outrun his scandals by keeping the spotlight fixed squarely on his Republican opponent.
Yet new polling suggests that Platners past is proving harder to escape than his campaign might hope. Fresh numbers from a New York Times/Portland Press Herald/Siena survey indicate that, despite his relentless attacks on Collins, his extensive personal and ethical baggage is eroding support, including among voters who say returning Democrats to Senate control is their top priority.
The pollsters note that the electorate they surveyed leans left-of-center, with a majority having backed Kamala Harris in 2024 and now overwhelmingly disapproving of President Donald Trumps presidency, while excoriating how hes handled the economy, cost-of-living crisis, immigration and the Iran war. As the report put it, Come this fall, most voters prefer that Democrats take control of the Senate.
Even in that favorable environment, Platners record is repelling a significant share of Mainers who might otherwise be inclined to support a Democrat. But Platners controversial past has turned off some Mainers, the poll summary stated, describing him as an oyster farmer whos never held elected office whose campaign was beset by scandal: a tattoo with Nazi overtones, unearthed Reddit posts and allegedly unsettling treatment of women.
The survey found that a majority of surveyed voters said his string of controversies has either called into question their support for him or made them disavow him entirely. In a particularly ominous sign for Democrats, Collins is winning 10 percent of voters who would prefer Democrats take control of the Senate, underscoring the degree to which character and judgment are weighing on the race.
Numerically, the contest remains extremely close, with the poll showing Platner at 49 percent and Collins at 47 percent. Considering the surveys margin of error of 4.8 percent, the two are effectively locked in a statistical tie, a far cry from the blowout some Democrats once imagined when they first targeted the seat.
Political observers highlighted another data point from the same polling that complicates the narrative Platner has tried to craft about his candidacy. Graham Platner is ahead of Collins by 2 points in new NYT poll, one summary noted, adding, One of the most intriguing details: She has a 21-point lead among non-college voters as Platner has made centering the working class the center of his campaign.
A more detailed breakdown from the NYT/Portland Press Herald/Siena poll, conducted June 1926 among likely voters, underscored the character gap between the two contenders. NYT/Portland Press Herald/Siena poll | 6/19-6/26 LV US Senate Maine 2026 Is too extreme? ??Graham Platner 47% ??Susan Collins 34% (incumbent) Has good character ??Susan Collins 66% (incumbent) ??Graham Platner 44% Has the right kind of moral values ??Susan Collins 61% https://t.co/nV2xsZ4oW7 pic.twitter.com/Lww6Y3vJfD, one social media post summarized, highlighting that even voters who see Platner as less extreme still trust Collins more on integrity and values.
These findings track with other surveys taken in June that also show the race tightening, suggesting that the more voters learn about Platner, the more skeptical they become. For Republicans, especially in a state that often rewards moderation and steadiness, Collins advantage on character and moral values could prove decisive if the contest remains close.
Strategists in Washington are also watching the calendar. The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) appears to be holding back its heaviest artillery until after July 14, the deadline for Platner to withdraw or be pushed out and for Democrats to legally substitute another nominee on the November ballot.
If Platner remains in the race past that dateand there is little indication Democratic leaders are prepared to force him asideRepublicans will have every incentive to fully prosecute the case against him. Voters in Maine can therefore expect to hear far more about his tattoo with Nazi overtones, his unearthed Reddit posts, and the allegations of unsettling behavior toward women, precisely the issues his campaign would prefer to bury.
For conservatives, the stakes extend beyond a single Senate seat to the broader question of whether character and accountability still matter in American politics. As the fall campaign accelerates, Maine will test whether a scandal-plagued progressive can ride partisan loyalty into office, or whether a veteran Republican with a reputation for steadiness and good character can withstand a national Democratic wave and hold the line in the upper chamber.
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