Graham Platner Is Officially Democrats’ Nominee To Take On Susan Collins

Graham Platner on Tuesday officially became the Democratic Party’s nominee to take on GOP Sen. Susan Collins in Maine in one of the nation’s most high-profile Senate races.

The political newcomer easily won his primary as the only serious Democratic candidate left on the ballot, despite a series of scandals over his old offensive Reddit posts, a tattoo resembling a Nazi symbol, his treatment of ex-girlfriends and revelations that he was sending sexts to other women after getting married in 2023.

The win Tuesday marks Platner’s remarkable rise from an unknown oysterman when he launched his campaign last fall to a linchpin in Democrats’ plans to take back the Senate this fall.

He faces a formidable opponent in Collins, who is the only Republican senator seeking reelection this year in a state former Vice President Kamala Harris won in 2024.

Some Democrats were hoping that a poor showing from Platner would help them convince him to step aside following his most recent controversies. Democratic Gov. Janet Mills dropped out of the race in April but remained on the ballot along with David Costello, who didn’t have serious funding or a major campaign operation. But they were unable to seriously cut into Platner’s margin Tuesday.

Platner has denied being violent toward women and argued that his past misdeeds reflect a dark period in his life when he struggled with post-traumatic stress disorder after leaving the military. He’s since covered up his tattoo, and he has asked voters to judge who he is now and made an anti-war message central to his campaign.

He was endorsed early by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and a cadre of other progressives and has built up an unprecedented grassroots following in Maine. Democrats are optimistic that they can leverage a favorable national political environment and tie Collins to President Donald Trump, who is deeply unpopular in the state. Recent polling has suggested a close general election matchup between Platner and Collins.