The people of Maine are smart, and they know lies when they see it
In the quiet certainty of an uncontested primary, Susan Collins has once again stepped forward as Maine's Republican standard-bearer — this time seeking a sixth term at a moment when a handful of Senate races will determine the balance of national power. Her opponent, Graham Platner, carries both the idealism of an outsider and the weight of a complicated past. The contest ahead is less a simple political rivalry than a referendum on what voters trust more: the accumulated record of a long-serving moderate, or the disruptive promise of someone who has known hardship firsthand.
- Collins secured her GOP nomination without opposition, but the real battle is just beginning in a state Democrats believe they can finally flip.
- Platner's campaign is under siege — past Reddit posts, a tattoo linked to Nazi imagery, and allegations of violent behavior and heavy drinking have forced him into a posture of partial accountability and partial denial.
- Progressive heavyweights Sanders, Warren, and Khanna are rallying behind Platner anyway, betting that his outsider energy and working-class framing can overcome the controversy.
- Collins is leaning into her record — her 10,000th consecutive Senate vote, her defense of heating assistance and food stamps — as proof that longevity in office can still mean service, not just survival.
- A hostile political environment for Republicans, marked by inflation, rising gas prices, and an unpopular war with Iran, is turning what might have been a safe seat into a genuine toss-up.
Susan Collins made it official on Tuesday: the 73-year-old senator from Maine had secured the Republican nomination for a sixth term, running unopposed in her party's primary. The race is one of a small number that will determine whether Republicans hold their narrow Senate majority, and Democrats have had Collins in their crosshairs for years.
The Democratic establishment had hoped Governor Janet Mills would be their challenger, but she dropped out in the spring after falling behind in both fundraising and polling. That opened the door for Graham Platner — a military veteran and oyster farmer — to become the likely Democratic nominee. His campaign, however, has been shadowed by a series of damaging revelations: inflammatory Reddit posts, a tattoo he got in 2007 that he later discovered resembled a Nazi symbol and subsequently covered up, and allegations from ex-girlfriends involving violent episodes and heavy drinking. Platner has acknowledged struggling with undiagnosed PTSD from four combat tours, saying he self-medicated with alcohol and was a far from perfect partner. He has called some of the more recent allegations politically motivated.
Despite the turbulence, Platner has earned backing from Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, and is running as an anti-establishment outsider who accuses Collins of serving billionaires while performing moderation as a "charade."
Collins, meanwhile, is leaning into her record. On Friday, she cast her 10,000th consecutive Senate vote — a milestone recognized across party lines. She has championed low-income heating assistance and opposed cuts to food stamps, framing her work as deeply attuned to the realities of life in Maine.
The broader political environment complicates things for Republicans: midterm headwinds, persistent inflation, rising gas prices tied to an unpopular conflict with Iran, and a president with underwater approval ratings all loom over the race. Still, Collins has defied Democratic efforts before — six years ago she trailed her opponent in polls before winning by nearly nine points. "The people of Maine are smart," she said, "and they know lies and distortions when they see it."
Susan Collins walked into Maine's Senate primary as the only Republican on the ballot. On Tuesday, she made it official: the 73-year-old senator from a deeply Democratic state had secured her party's nomination for a sixth consecutive term. The race ahead is one of a handful across the country that will decide whether Republicans hold onto their narrow Senate majority.
Collins has been a top target for Democrats for years. She said recently that Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer has made her his priority not just this cycle, but in the two campaigns before it. The party establishment had hoped Gov. Janet Mills would challenge her, but Mills dropped out in the spring after falling behind in both fundraising and polling. That cleared the way for Graham Platner, a military veteran and oyster farmer, to become the all-but-certain Democratic nominee.
Platner's campaign has been beset by revelations about his past. He posted inflammatory comments on Reddit that drew criticism when they surfaced last fall. He has a tattoo he got in 2007 while stationed in Croatia with the Marines—a skull and crossbones design that he later learned resembled a Nazi symbol. He covered it up after discovering this last year, though questions have emerged about when he actually knew what the tattoo looked like. More recently, ex-girlfriends have made allegations about a history of violent episodes, rape fantasies, and heavy drinking. Platner has acknowledged struggling with undiagnosed post-traumatic stress disorder from four tours in Afghanistan and Iraq, saying he self-medicated with alcohol and was "a far from perfect boyfriend." He has called some of the newer allegations false and politically motivated, while taking responsibility for the person he was during that dark period.
Despite the baggage, Platner has backing from progressive figures including Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, and Representative Ro Khanna. He is running as an outsider, positioning himself against what he calls the "broken Washington" that Collins represents. He argues that she and politicians like her have sided with billionaires and corporations over working people, and he has called her moderate Republican image a "charade," pointing to her support for some of President Donald Trump's agenda.
Collins, meanwhile, has been focused on her Senate work. On Friday, she cast her 10,000th consecutive Senate vote and received bipartisan recognition for the milestone. She is emphasizing her record of achievement and her work on behalf of Maine's most vulnerable residents. She has championed the low-income heating assistance program and has opposed cuts to food stamps and other safety-net programs, arguing that she understands how vital these are in a state where the cost of living is high.
The political environment is challenging for Republicans. The party in power typically loses seats in midterms, and that headwind is being amplified by persistent inflation, rising gas prices tied to an unpopular war with Iran, and Trump's underwater approval ratings. Collins acknowledged the difficulty when asked how she would overcome Republican blame for the high cost of living, but she pointed to her specific work on heating assistance and her opposition to benefit cuts.
Polls show the race is competitive. But Collins has a track record of defying Democratic efforts to remove her. Six years ago, she trailed Sara Gideon, the then-Maine House speaker, but won re-election by nearly nine points. She is expecting a wave of attack ads in the months ahead. "The people of Maine are smart," she said, "and they know lies and distortions when they see it."
Citas Notables
I have been the No. 1 target of Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, not only in this campaign, but the last two campaigns as well.— Sen. Susan Collins
I take responsibility for all of that, and wish I had been better. Any characterization beyond that is false, and I believe, politically motivated.— Graham Platner, on his past behavior
La Conversación del Hearth Otra perspectiva de la historia
Why does a Senate race in Maine matter so much to the national picture?
Because Republicans have a razor-thin majority. Maine is one of a handful of seats that could flip. If Democrats win here and a few other places, they take control of the chamber.
Collins has been a senator for a long time. Why is she still vulnerable?
Maine is a left-leaning state. She's a Republican. That's always going to be a structural problem for her, no matter how moderate she is. And this time, Democrats found a challenger with real momentum.
But Platner has all these controversies. Doesn't that help Collins?
It does, but it's complicated. Platner is running as an outsider, as someone who broke with the system. Some of his supporters see the controversies as evidence that he's not a typical politician. Others see them as disqualifying. It depends on what voters care about more.
What's Collins actually arguing about her record?
She's pointing to concrete things: heating assistance for low-income families, opposition to cutting food stamps, her consistent voting record. She's saying, look at what I've actually done for Maine.
And Platner's counter is what?
That she's part of a system that benefits the wealthy, that her moderation is theater, that she's enabled Trump. He's running to her left, on economic populism.
So it really comes down to whether Maine voters trust her or want change?
Exactly. And whether they think his past is too much baggage. Collins has won before when people thought she'd lose. But this time the national environment is worse for Republicans, and Platner has real support from the progressive wing.