{"id":4464,"date":"2026-06-14T18:36:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-14T18:36:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usglobalnews.com\/2026\/06\/14\/democrats-predicament-with-graham-platner-is-one-of-the-partys-own-making\/"},"modified":"2026-06-14T18:36:00","modified_gmt":"2026-06-14T18:36:00","slug":"democrats-predicament-with-graham-platner-is-one-of-the-partys-own-making","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/?p=4464","title":{"rendered":"Democrats\u2019 predicament with Graham Platner is one of the party\u2019s own making"},"content":{"rendered":"<div data-gu-name=\"media\" class=\"dcr-1vsw7yz\">\n<div class=\"dcr-tr9ye5\">\n<figure id=\"abe10afc-f306-4673-886f-5c9a0c97eaa1\" class=\"dcr-142siv7\">\n<div id=\"img-1\" class=\"dcr-1t8m8f2\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"A crowd on stage hold campaign signs above supporters at a political rally with an American flag backdrop\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/1ee19ab6a124fa8790a10ba0e4a07e27930ad127\/378_0_4223_3378\/master\/4223.jpg?width=465&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"465\" height=\"371.9559554818849\" loading=\"eager\" class=\"dcr-evn1e9\"><span class=\"dcr-v822l1\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-gup2gr\">\n<div class=\"dcr-fntg6k\"><label for=\"the-checkbox\" class=\"dcr-1xgwz8b\"><\/label> <\/p>\n<div id=\"the-caption\"><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-1os51wo\"><span class=\"dcr-hvsf4t\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1qvd3m6\">Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner stands on stage during a primary election night watch party after winning the Democratic primary on 9 June, in Blue Hill, Maine.<\/span> Photograph: Robert F Bukaty\/AP<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/span><a href=\"#img-1\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-13fd1ms\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"abe10afc-f306-4673-886f-5c9a0c97eaa1\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-4tmywn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-194i6pr\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"dcr-n4pnam\"><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-1hdkqum\"><span class=\"dcr-hvsf4t\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1qvd3m6\">Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner stands on stage during a primary election night watch party after winning the Democratic primary on 9 June, in Blue Hill, Maine.<\/span> Photograph: Robert F Bukaty\/AP<\/figcaption><\/span><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-gu-name=\"headline\" class=\"dcr-shrpec\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1jwoxwb\">\n<div class=\"dcr-13sure5\">\n<div class=\"dcr-47lvke\"><a href=\"\/tone\/analysis\" class=\"dcr-epjkf7\">Analysis<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h1 class=\"dcr-1k1a1x\">Democrats\u2019 predicament with Graham Platner is one of the party\u2019s own making<\/h1>\n<div class=\"dcr-isvq2p\">\n<div class=\"dcr-f3dx7u\"><a rel=\"author\" data-link-name=\"auto tag link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/profile\/shrai-popat\">Shrai Popat<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-gu-name=\"standfirst\" class=\"dcr-m5tuef\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1b20i6h\">\n<p>Platner\u2019s long road ahead shows how Democrats may have fumbled the bag in Maine<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-gu-name=\"body\" class=\"dcr-l3z1yk\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1a4fred\">\n<div id=\"maincontent\" class=\"dcr-ydnaza\">\n<div class=\"article-body-commercial-selector article-body-viewer-selector dcr-6d4g12\">\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The Democratic establishment\u2019s early bet on Janet Mills, as its best hope to pick up a coveted Senate seat in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/maine\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\">Maine<\/a>, now looks like a clear miscalculation \u2013 one that has left the party boxed into a far riskier general election fight than it ever anticipated. By rallying behind the septuagenarian governor, and sidelining Graham Platner for months, party leaders helped create the very predicament they face.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Platner\u2019s primary victory on Tuesday now means the closely-watched race will be a test of fortitude for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/democrats\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\">Democrats<\/a> in the long road to November. One where either outcome has wide-ranging implications for the party.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"6139df2d-81ab-4984-8aad-8b549637fe2b\" data-spacefinder-role=\"richLink\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.RichLinkBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-47fhrn\">\n<div data-print-layout=\"hide\" data-link-name=\"rich-link-2 | 2\" data-component=\"rich-link\" data-name=\"placeholder\" class=\"dcr-1kyw41h\">\n<div data-format-theme=\"5\" data-format-design=\"0\" data-format-display=\"0\" class=\"dcr-ma29me\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/jun\/09\/graham-platner-maine-senate-primary\" class=\"dcr-1m887w9\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-ut4tvs\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1h5b6rb\">\n<div class=\"dcr-169d7yv\">Graham Platner shrugs off scandals to win Maine Democratic Senate primary<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"dcr-eurq8n\">\n<div class=\"dcr-fkf7vq\">Read more<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The turbulence starts with Democrats having to look past the 41-year-old\u2019s myriad scandals: problematic online posts, a covered-up tattoo that looks like a Nazi symbol, sexting women outside his marriage, and allegations of violent behavior in past relationships that he has denied. The party apparatus, including several progressive lawmakers, will also have to square their endorsements of Platner at the same time as excoriating Republicans for overlooking Donald Trump\u2019s own decades of indiscretions.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Looming over all of this is the expectation of more opposition research, which could test Maine voters\u2019 resolve and undermine faith in Platner\u2019s ability to actually beat Republican incumbent Susan Collins as she seeks a sixth-term in office.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">But Platner\u2019s rise didn\u2019t happen in a vacuum. Plain-spoken and unvarnished, his brand of populism initially looked like the perfect salve for the perennial identity crisis Democrats have been wrestling with since 2024. Platner\u2019s appeal only grew when Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer and other top brass threw their weight behind Mills, leaving the political newcomer less vetted and tested than a typical party-backed candidate.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">In many ways Platner is the perfect anti-establishment vessel for Democrats in a state where Trump lost the last three elections, and voters appear to be frustrated with Collins\u2019 brand of moderation that still sees the senator back several of the president\u2019s priorities. Platner has captivated crowds by skewering career politicians from both sides of the aisle \u2013 blasting their rote platitudes as self-serving and out-of-touch, while focusing on Mainers who can\u2019t afford healthcare, gas, groceries and housing during Trump\u2019s second stint in the White House.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cSusan Collins has never met a war she didn\u2019t like,\u201d the former marine said to applause during his victory speech this week in Blue Hill. \u201cShe\u2019s been supporting endless wars since I was a teenager, and I know, I had to fight in two of them.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">After Mills suspended her campaign in April due to dwindling financial resources, the Democratic senatorial campaign committee (DSCC) moved to back Platner. After his victory on Tuesday, Schumer and DSCC chair Kirsten Gillibrand, reaffirmed their support for the nominee, but focused their statement less on Platner himself and more on the need to oust Collins as the best path to retaking the Senate.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">While his momentum has laid bare the lackluster energy around the party\u2019s initial choice, Platner\u2019s mounting scandals also dominate any discussion around the Senate race. Whether he wins or loses, Democratic leadership will likely have to answer for its misjudged instincts in running Mills in the first place.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The road to November will undoubtedly be rancorous, as Republicans continue to cast Platner as little more than a liberal aberration. A conservative Pac supporting Collins\u2019 re-election has<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?app=desktop&amp;v=zI42p9j9m9k&amp;ra=m\" data-link-name=\"in body link\"> released new ads<\/a> branding the oysterman and combat veteran as \u201ctoo risky for Maine\u201d. Politico first reported on the spots, which include voters reading Platner\u2019s resurfaced online comments, including those where he once minimized sexual assault.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Some local operatives also suspect that the almost 20% of votes Mills received in the primary won\u2019t automatically migrate to Platner \u2013 noting the number of moderate Democratic women whose willingness to do whatever it takes to unseat Collins has waned in the cloud of controversy.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Candor, however, has become an important currency for Platner in explaining the growing list of revelations. By openly attributing them to undiagnosed PTSD, alcohol, and personal failings, he has reframed his behavior as authentic. For many, this redemption arc resonates, leading voters to support him because of his flaws, not in spite of them.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cIf Democrats actually want to win again, if they want a country that delivers for working people, then they\u2019ve got to elect candidates who are actually in touch with the real world,\u201d said Corbin Trent, a former Bernie Sanders campaign aide and executive director of the progressive Super Pac, A Fight Worth Having. \u201cIf we keep demanding total perfection in our candidates with squeaky clean histories, we\u2019ll continue electing the same out-of-touch corporate sellouts who\u2019ve never actually experienced what it\u2019s like to struggle in real world America.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">But Platner\u2019s town hall enthusiasts are only part of the equation. Maine\u2019s idiosyncratic unaffiliated voters \u2013 who comprise almost a third of the state\u2019s electorate \u2013 present a steeper challenge. They might skip the lawn signs and hold their noses to vote for Collins, valuing her Senate seniority and the federal funding she secures as appropriations chair over a risky unknown.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-print-layout=\"hide\" class=\"dcr-qxqnsy\"><span class=\"dcr-1rq3vad\">Explore more on these topics<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-1dzx48f\">\n<ul class=\"dcr-1xavc9x\">\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/maine\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">Maine<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/democrats\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">Democrats<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/us-senate\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">US Senate<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/us-politics\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">US politics<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/tone\/analysis\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">analysis<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"dcr-nu129i\"><a href=\"mailto:?subject=Democrats%E2%80%99%20predicament%20with%20Graham%20Platner%20is%20one%20of%20the%20party%E2%80%99s%20own%20making&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/jun\/14\/maine-graham-platner-democrats?CMP=share_btn_url\" class=\"dcr-125qj9d\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-zhx6xs\"><a data-link-name=\"meta-syndication-article\" href=\"https:\/\/syndication.theguardian.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fus-news%2F2026%2Fjun%2F14%2Fmaine-graham-platner-democrats&amp;type=article&amp;internalpagecode=us-news\/2026\/jun\/14\/maine-graham-platner-democrats\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" title=\"Reuse this content\" class=\"dcr-14rjinq\">Reuse this content<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-gu-name=\"right-column\" class=\"dcr-1el9k3p\"><span class=\"dcr-1vetsv0\"><\/span><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner stands on stage during a primary election night watch party after winning the<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":4466,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4464","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-world-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4464","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4464"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4464\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/4466"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4464"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4464"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4464"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}