Graham Platner Wins Maine Democratic Senate Primary, Will Face Susan Collins in November

Graham Platner cast an early voting ballot in Maine's primary on May 11, 2026, then held an energy event in Ellsworth, Maine, minutes before sitting for an interview with Fox News Digital. Platner, an oyster farmer and Army and Marine veteran who served in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars, will face Sen.

U.S. Senate in Maine. The 2026 Maine Senate race is one of a handful across the country that will likely determine whether Republicans keep control of their slim Senate majority. Two-term Gov. Janet Mills ended her Senate campaign two weeks before May 11, 2026 after trailing Graham Platner in polling and fundraising.

Janet Mills was supported by Sen. Chuck Schumer, who recruited her to enter the race. Sen. Chuck Schumer called Graham Platner after Janet Mills ended her bid to congratulate him on a good race. Graham Platner described his phone conversation with Sen.

Chuck Schumer as 'perfectly cordial'. Graham Platner said the topic of his lack of support for Chuck Schumer as Democratic leader did not come up in their phone conversation. Graham Platner says he still would not support Sen.

Platner is one of a small but growing number of progressive Senate candidates who say that if elected in November they won't support Schumer as the Senate's Democratic leader. He is backed by Sens.

Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts. Platner advocates an economically populist agenda targeting corporate influences and advocating for the working class. He released his energy plan on May 11, 2026, which he called 'very central' to his campaign.

The plan includes eliminating the national gas and diesel tax, a freeze on electricity rate increases, and a fund for clean energy projects. "I think energy costs right now are one of the things that are most damaging working families in this state. It is, in my opinion, an existential crisis that we face," Platner said.

Sen. Susan Collins said she believes voters in Maine will conclude that Graham Platner is too far to the left and extreme for the state. Graham Platner said Susan Collins has supported policies helping corporations and billionaires to the detriment of working people.

Graham Platner said Susan Collins voted to send him to Iraq and continues to vote to support the war in Iran. A Republican group supporting Susan Collins released a new ad blasting Graham Platner over controversial comments he made over a decade ago on Reddit about women and rape and a tattoo on his chest that resembled a Nazi symbol.

In 2013 Graham Platner posted on Reddit that people concerned about rape should not 'get so f---ed up they wind up having sex with someone they don’t mean to' and later deleted the comment.

Graham Platner apologized for his controversial Reddit posts after they made headlines last fall. Graham Platner got a skull and crossbones tattoo in 2007 while drinking with fellow Marines stationed in Croatia. Graham Platner covered up the skull and crossbones tattoo with a new design after learning last year that it resembled a Nazi symbol.

Five years ago Graham Platner described himself as a 'communist' and 'socialist' in Reddit posts. Graham Platner said his Reddit comments describing himself as a 'communist' and 'socialist' were joking and 'shitposting'. "The Democratic establishment tried to use all those attacks against me and failed miserably," Platner said.

Fox News reported that Platner insisted the people of Maine understand the attacks for what they are and that negative television ads will not work because they have not up until this point. He added that having fought in Iraq and Afghanistan, he is confident he can handle criticism on television. Paul Steinhauser is a politics reporter based in New Hampshire who covers the campaign trail.