Graham Platner Leads Susan Collins in Maine Senate 2026; Maine, 2026

Key Points

• Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner leads Republican Senator Susan Collins by 9 points (51% to 42%) in a new University of New Hampshire Pine Tree State Poll
• Platner’s wife Amy Gertner disclosed to his campaign in August 2025 that she found sexually explicit texts on his phone with as many as 6-12 women
• Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) defended Platner on CBS’ Face the Nation, stating character involves “standing up to people who are bankrupting and corrupting this country”
• Rep. Ro Khanna credited Platner with “having the character to stand up against the war in Iran, against genocide, and against an unfair & lopsided economy”
• Platner has a chest tattoo resembling the Nazi SS Totenkopf symbol, which he covered up and said he got when drunk
• The candidate has offensive deleted Reddit posts including dismissive remarks about military sexual assaults and homophobic slurs
• Bernie Sanders endorsed Platner, calling him “a Marine and Army National Guard veteran, an oyster farmer, and a proud member of America’s working class”
• Governor Janet Mills suspended her primary campaign last month, clearing Platner’s path to the Democratic nomination
• Platner raised $3.2 million in fundraising and maintains a lead in nine consecutive polls against Collins
• 91% of Democrats would vote for Platner in the general election, while independents are divided at 44% Platner vs 47% Collins

Washington (Evening Washington News) June 2, 2026 – A populist oyster farmer and veteran running as the presumptive Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Maine is maintaining a surprising lead over five-term Republican Senator Susan Collins despite a cascading series of personal controversies that would typically sink a candidate’s chances.

As reported by Kerry Picket of The Washington Times, a new University of New Hampshire Pine Tree State Poll shows Graham Platner with 51% support among likely general election voters, while Collins has 42%, giving the challenger a 9-point advantage. The poll of 1,397 Mainers conducted between May 21-25 has a margin of error of 2.6%.

“This is going to be a pretty clear contrast in Maine between somebody who has spent his life protecting us versus somebody who seems to be protecting Donald Trump’s corruption,” Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) told CBS News on Sunday when asked about the controversies surrounding Platner.

Why Are Voters Overlooking Platner’s Personal Controversies?

The Wall Street Journal first reported on Saturday that shortly after Platner launched his Senate bid last August, his wife Amy Gertner revealed to campaign aide Genevieve McDonald that she had discovered sexually explicit texts with several women on his phone months earlier.

According to The New York Times, which confirmed the Journal report, Gertner told McDonald that Platner had been sending explicit texts with as many as a dozen women, though a Platner official told the paper it was up to six women.

As reported by Sam Brodey of The Boston Globe, the campaign’s braintrust ultimately decided the texts were a private issue being handled through marriage counseling, and they moved forward with a scheduled rally with Senator Bernie Sanders.

In a statement provided to The Globe via Platner’s campaign, Gertner said she confided details to “someone I considered a friend” and accused that person of spreading “malicious gossip to anyone who would take her call”.

“Our marriage today is stronger than ever before,” Gertner stated.

“I know who Graham is. I know the man I married and the husband he has been to me on the best and the worst days of my life. That hasn’t changed, and it won’t”.

How Does the Nazi Symbol Tattoo Factor Into the Character Debate?

Since Platner entered Maine’s nationally-watched Senate race last year, multiple explosive revelations about his past conduct have emerged.

The candidate has a chest tattoo of a skull and crossbones that resembled the Totenkopf symbol adopted by the Nazi SS during World War II, which he said he got when drunk and has since covered up.

“There’s also been scrutiny of now-deleted posts he made on Reddit which were dismissive of military sexual assaults and used homophobic slurs,” as reported by the Associated Press via the Chron. Platner has attributed past comments to his struggles with PTSD.

What Does Sen. Chris Murphy Say About the “Character Test”?

On CBS’ Face the Nation on Sunday, Sen. Chris Murphy was asked whether all the controversies surrounding Platner mean he doesn’t “pass the character test.” Murphy offered what The Lever described as a “subtly radical answer”:

“Character involves standing up to people who are bankrupting and corrupting this country”.

As reported by the Washington Examiner, Murphy told CBS News that

“Graham Platner is somebody who served our country, he’s served his community; he’s also made mistakes and he has admitted that”.

Rep. Ro Khanna echoed this perspective, crediting Platner with “having the character to stand up against the war in Iran, against genocide, and against an unfair & lopsided economy”.

Why Is Bernie Sanders Backing This Controversial Candidate?

Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders broke with some Democrat colleagues to endorse Platner on August 30, 2025. As reported by The Independent, Sanders wrote in an emailed statement: “Graham is a Marine and Army National Guard veteran, an oyster farmer, and a proud member of America’s working class. He’s a Mainer through and through, and he is building a movement strong enough to take on the oligarchy that is making Maine unaffordable for all except a privileged few”.

Sanders highlighted that

“We require senators in Washington who are willing to confront the billionaire class and advocate for working individuals”.

According to Axios, Platner has raised $3.2 million in fundraising and is drawing substantial crowds to his events.

How Has Governor Janet Mills’ Exit Changed the Race?

Governor Janet Mills has taken the polling lead over Platner in previous Democratic primary polls, but as reported by The Hill, Mills suspended her campaign last month, clearing Platner’s path to the nomination in the June 9 primary election.

A third candidate, David Costello, remains in the race though he has badly trailed Platner and Mills in polling and fundraising.

As reported by The Boston Globe,

“Many Maine Democrats have been impressed by his grassroots movement and populist political appeal. Independent polls so far have shown him defeating Collins in November”.

What Do the Numbers Say About Independent Voters?

The race remains competitive among independents, who are crucial in Maine’s swing-state environment. According to The Washington Times, 47% of independents support Collins while 44% support Platner, with the Senate GOP’s official campaign arm relentlessly promoting negative stories about Platner’s past.

Ninety-one percent of Democrats questioned said they’d vote for Platner in the general election, with 87% of Republicans backing Collins.

The Maine race is considered a key battleground as Democrats seek to retake the Senate, where Republicans now hold a 53-47 edge.

How Does Platner Respond to Claims His Campaign Is Collapsing?

Despite the controversies, Platner has insisted the political uproars have only strengthened his insurgent campaign. As reported by The Washington Times, Platner said:

“It is amusing for me to watch the campaign described in the media as collapsing or falling apart when internally, we frankly have not felt this strong since the beginning”.

Platner leads in the ninth poll in a row against Collins, according to Echelon Insights polling from April 3-9, 2026, which showed him at 51% (+6) versus Collins at 45%.

Background: The Development of Graham Platner’s Senate Candidacy and Controversies

Graham Cunningham Platner was born September 1, 1984, in Blue Hill, Maine, and is currently 41 years old. He is a veteran of both the Marine Corps and Army National Guard, serving the United States before becoming an oyster farmer in Maine’s working class. Platner married Amy Gertner in 2023.

The controversies surrounding Platner began surfacing when he announced his Senate candidacy in August 2025, initially challenging Governor Janet Mills in the Democratic primary while also positioning himself against incumbent Senator Susan Collins. The timeline of revelations includes:

• August 2025: Gertner disclosed the explicit texts to campaign aide Genevieve McDonald during opposition research
• Late 2025: Reddit posts resurfaced showing dismissive remarks about military sexual assaults and homophobic slurs
• 2025-2026: Tattoo controversy emerged, with Platner acknowledging he got it drunk and covering it up
• October 2025: Genevieve McDonald resigned as early aide to Platner
• August 30, 2025: Bernie Sanders officially endorsed Platner
• May 2026: Mills suspended her primary campaign, clearing Platner’s path to nomination
• May 27-28, 2026: New UNH poll showed Platner leading Collins by 9 points
• May 29-30, 2026: Wall Street Journal and New York Times reported on the explicit texts controversy

The Senate GOP’s official campaign arm blasted out the Journal story less than an hour after it was posted online, demonstrating the intensified Republican efforts since Mills bowed out of the race.

Prediction: How This Development Could Affect Maine Voters and the National Senate Balance

The Platner-Collins race represents a potential paradigm shift in American politics that could significantly affect multiple audiences.

As reported by The Lever, the polling data suggesting Platner’s anti-oligarch candidacy maintaining a general-election lead amid revelations about his past suggests “a new paradigm of materialist politics may be upon us”.

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Impact on Maine Voters

Maine voters who “can’t afford anything and who feel totally ignored by their government” may have reimagined their entire definition of political “character” on economic and anti-corruption terms rather than personal moral rectitude, according to The Lever’s analysis.

This development could mean that economically struggling voters in Maine will prioritize policy positions on affordability, healthcare, and economic inequality over traditional character metrics.

The 44% of independents supporting Platner versus 47% for Collins suggests this race will likely be decided by which candidate better connects with these swing voters on economic issues rather than personal character.

Impact on Democratic Party Strategy

Democrats seeking to retake the Senate’s 53-47 majority now face a critical decision point. As reported by The Washington Times, the Maine race is

“considered a key battleground as Democrats seek to retake the Senate”.

If Platner wins, it could validate a populist, anti-oligarchy approach within the Democratic Party and potentially shift the party’s direction toward more progressive economic policies.

The fact that 91% of Democrats would support Platner in the general election suggests strong party base support, but the independent vote remains crucial.

Impact on National Political Discourse

Sen. Murphy and Rep. Khanna’s defense of Platner suggests “the possibility of a new political reality” where voters define character solely by whether politicians are

“single-mindedly focused on destroying oligarchy and ending corruption”.

If this paradigm holds, it could fundamentally change how candidates across the political spectrum present themselves to voters.

However, as The Lever noted,

“I don’t know if such anti-system voters have reached enough of a critical mass to sway elections”.

The November 2026 election results will determine whether this represents a lasting shift or a Maine-specific phenomenon.