Collins Says Maine Voters Will View Democratic Senate Challenger as Too Extreme

Republican Sen. Susan Collins said Maine voters will conclude that her Democratic challenger Graham Platner is too extreme for the state. Asked by Fox News Digital whether Platner is too far to the left, Collins said she believes that will be the conclusion of Maine voters.

She added that she does not take anything for granted. Collins is seeking re-election to a sixth six-year term in the Senate in left-leaning Maine. She told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview this week that she has been the No. 1 target of the Democratic leader not only in this campaign but in the last two campaigns as well.

The 2026 race is one of a handful across the country that will likely determine whether Republicans keep control of their slim Senate majority. Platner, a first-time candidate, is a military veteran and oyster farmer who became the all-but-certain Democratic nominee after the two-term governor dropped out of the race last week.

The governor had been backed by the Democratic leader and the party establishment but was trailing Platner in both fundraising and polling. Platner is supported by two progressive senators from neighboring states.

Platner advocates an economically populist agenda. He takes aim at corporate influences and says he is fighting for the working class. He has described Collins' moderate Republican image as a charade. Platner emphasizes that Collins is part of a broken Washington and a generation of politicians who have failed voters.

He has charged that she and other Republican politicians have prioritized the interests of billionaires and corporations over people. A Republican group supporting Collins has begun running an advertisement that highlights controversial comments Platner made more than a decade ago on Reddit about women and rape.

One 2013 post, which Platner later deleted, said people concerned about rape should not get so f---ed up they wind up having sex with someone they don’t mean to. Platner apologized for the Reddit posts after they drew attention last fall. He has also addressed a tattoo on his chest that he received in 2007 while drinking with fellow Marines in Croatia.

He said he covered it up last year after learning that it resembled a Nazi symbol.

Asked whether she will highlight Platner's past statements, Collins said she is going to contrast her record of achievement and accomplishments with Platner's approach. She stopped short of previewing more of the campaign strategy. Collins said she is hoping for a civil campaign where the candidates discuss issues and accomplishments.

She was interviewed at a food bank in Harrison, Maine, that expanded with federal funding she helped obtain. The senator said it was satisfying to see the food bank expand its community room and kitchen. She noted that the food bank serves more than 1,000 families every week.

Collins has championed the low-income heating assistance program, which helps low-income families and seniors stay warm during Maine's cold winters. She said she recently made sure the final tranche of money was released because of high need in the state and the high cost of living.

She also emphasized her opposition to cuts in food stamp benefits and other programs designed for low-income families.

Republicans hold the Senate majority but face traditional headwinds as the party in power. Additional challenges include persistent inflation, rising gas prices linked to an unpopular war with Iran and the president's low approval ratings. Collins said the Democratic leader poured more than $160 million into Maine during the last campaign through affiliated groups, all in negative advertisements that she said misrepresented her record.

She added that the same effort is already underway and that people in Maine recognize lies and distortions. The Democrats' path to regaining Senate control includes winning in Maine. Collins is expected to face a large volume of attack advertisements in the coming months.