Graham Platner Got Everything He Wanted. Is That Good for Democrats’ Hopes of Retaking the Senate?
Graham Platner secured the Democratic Senate nomination in Maine after Governor Janet Mills dropped out of the primary, citing insufficient financial resources. Platner now faces incumbent Senator Susan Collins, a long-standing Republican figure who has not lost an election since 1994. Despite Collins' track record, current polls show her trailing Platner in a potential matchup, raising questions about Democratic chances of flipping the seat.
- ▪Janet Mills dropped out of the Maine Democratic Senate primary due to a lack of financial resources.
- ▪Graham Platner leads Mills by about 2-to-1 in public polling and has secured the nomination without a primary vote.
- ▪Susan Collins has not lost an election since 1994 and won re-election in 2020 despite trailing in every public poll.
- ▪Polls currently show Collins losing in head-to-head matchups against Platner.
- ▪Platner's past controversial Reddit comments and tattoos have been publicly scrutinized but have not significantly damaged his support.
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Politics Graham Platner Got Everything He Wanted. Is That Good for Democrats’ Hopes of Retaking the Senate? Maine was supposed to be Democrats’ marquee Senate primary. It ended before a single vote was cast. By Jim Newell May 02, 20265:45 AM Copy Link Share Share Comment <img class="lazyloaded" loading="lazy" src="https://compote.slate.com/images/8f1716b5-7ace-4cd2-9694-5fcc37999ab8.jpeg?crop=1560%2C1040%2Cx0%2Cy1" alt="Graham Platner has a star and Mills has an X and there is an outline of Maine." width="1560" height="1040" /> Photo illustration by Slate. Photos by Sophie Park/Getty Images and Joseph Prezioso/AFP via Getty Images. Sign up for the Surge, the newsletter that covers the most important political nonsense of the week, delivered to your inbox every Saturday.
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