Graham Platner wins Maine primary election: Results and key takeaways

Graham Platner, who has advocated for government-funded healthcare, escaped acquisition and a wealthiness tax, has won the Maine Democratic superior for the United States Senate. He volition instrumentality connected Republican Senator Susan Collins successful a high-stakes contention successful November.

Platner, a seasoned turned oyster husbandman initially backed by the progressive Democrats, was accepted by the constitution Democrats aft his rival, Maine Governor Janet Mills, dropped retired successful April amid dismal ratings.

Primary results for Nevada, South Carolina and North Dakota were besides announced connected Tuesday.

Here is much connected the latest results

What are the cardinal takeaways from the caller primaries?

Platner won successful Maine

Democrats person precocious hopes of capturing a US Senate spot from Republicans successful Maine, wherever five-term Senator Collins is moving for re-election astatine a clip erstwhile voters are soured by precocious user prices and the US-Israeli warfare connected Iran.

Platner built momentum with a “man of the people” transportation that resonated with moderates and progressives, drew important run backing and enactment him truthful acold up that Democratic Governor Mills suspended her ain Senate bid successful April.

Although she remained connected the ballot, Platner was starring her by astir 72 percent to astir 20 percent, and different Democrat, David Costello, trailed successful azygous digits with 42 percent of precincts reporting.

“In November, Maine voters volition elite Graham Platner, and we volition triumph a Senate majority,” Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said successful a associated connection with Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, who chairs the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. Schumer had initially backed Mills.

Platner’s parent took the signifier earlier helium spoke. She declared: “I americium very, precise arrogant of my son. I’m arrogant of who helium is.”

Trump’s endorsements output constricted triumph successful South Carolina

During the South Carolina race, US President Donald Trump appears to person ended the governmental vocation of South Carolina’s Representative Nancy Mace, who helped merchandise the Jeffrey Epstein files, straining her ties with the US president.

She failed to beforehand to the June 23 gubernatorial run-off arsenic Trump-backed South Carolina Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evette, who ran connected an “America First” platform, volition look second-place finisher Attorney General Alan Wilson.

Already successful this year’s superior elections, Trump-backed candidates person defeated Republican Senators Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, John Cornyn of Texas and Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky.

Massie has opposed parts of the president’s agenda, including subject enactment against Iran, and sponsored a measure that resulted successful the merchandise of files linked to convicted paedophile Epstein.

Evette is expected to besides triumph the November wide election, arsenic it has been astir 3 decades since a Democrat has been elected politician successful this Republican-leaning state.

However, Trump’s endorsement for Evette yielded a constricted triumph arsenic she was incapable to unafraid a bulk of the ballot successful the five-candidate tract needed to debar a run-off. She won 28.9 percent of the ballot against Alan Wilson’s 26.2 percent. The 2 volition person a run-off connected June 23.

Trump besides endorsed four-term Senator Lindsey Graham successful South Carolina for the US Senate primary. Graham faced respective superior challengers, including from hard-right Greenville-area businessman Mark Lynch, whom Trump called a “lunatic”. Graham volition debar a run-off, arsenic helium captured astir 58 percent of the ballot with 90 percent of votes counted.

Longtime South Carolina Representative James Clyburn, who holds important nationalist governmental clout arsenic the state’s lone Democratic House member, easy fended disconnected a little-known superior challenger connected Tuesday.

Just weeks ago, it was unclear if Clyburn would marque it to an 18th word successful office. Republican lawmakers, backed by Trump, considered a legislature representation that would person importantly altered Clyburn’s majority-Black territory and made it harder for him to clasp onto the seat. But the Republican-led authorities Senate rejected the effort, leaving his territory mostly intact.

Two Republicans are inactive competing for the accidental to look Clyburn successful November, but helium is expected to beryllium the overwhelming favourite successful the wide election. A triumph would apt guarantee helium plays a important relation successful the lead-up to the 2028 statesmanlike race.

Trump-backed Republican won successful Nevada

Marty O’Donnell, backed by Trump, won the Republican superior for Nevada’s 3rd Congressional District with 42.4 percent of the ballot share. The 3rd Congressional District is simply a Las Vegas-area battleground that could assistance determine power of the US House of Representatives successful November, US media projected.

The seat, held by Democrat Susie Lee, is among a fistful crossed the state expected to beryllium decisive successful determining the equilibrium of powerfulness successful Congress, with Republicans presently holding a constrictive House majority.

The Republican superior featured a competitive, mostly self-funded field, including Trump-endorsed video crippled composer O’Donnell, neurosurgeon Aury Nagy and erstwhile US ambassador to Iceland Jeff Gunter. A 4th campaigner is businesswoman Tera Anderson.

The Republican nominee volition present situation Lee oregon her Democratic rival successful a contention expected to gully nationalist attraction and important run spending up of November’s elections.

Who is Graham Platner and what are his positions connected cardinal issues?

Platner, 41, who focused connected issues facing people, ran a grassroots run attracting voters.

His run prioritised the rising outgo of living, lodging affordability and healthcare, and secured aboriginal endorsements from progressive figures, including Senator Bernie Sanders.

But Governor Mills, who withdrew from the contention citing fundraising difficulties, has yet to endorse him.

• Economy: Platner’s website highlights the rising outgo of surviving successful Maine, saying determination is simply a “billionaire economy”, and advocates for a wealthiness taxation connected the ultra-rich, which charges 5-6 percent taxation connected wealthiness implicit $1bn. He has besides projected raising the national minimum wage, strengthening Social Security, cutting taxes for low-income workers and tiny businesses and utilizing national wealth to easiness section taxes, particularly spot taxes.
• Healthcare: Platner’s level calls for Medicare for all. Medicare is simply a US authorities wellness security programme chiefly for older radical oregon radical with disabilities. He has besides called for a nationalist modular for intelligence healthcare, allowing each Americans to person escaped entree to it.
• War connected Gaza: On Platner’s website, helium condemned Israel’s genocidal warfare connected Gaza, adding that American payer dollars are being spent to “underwrite the starvation of Gaza”. Additionally, Platner has written, “I volition never, ever ballot to nonstop Americans into a pointless war.”

Why is Platner controversial?

Last week, revelations surfaced that Platner had engaged successful sexually explicit messages with aggregate women portion helium was married. But his anti-establishment transportation and absorption connected section issues look to person struck a chord with voters.

Platner’s website says that helium met his wife, Amy Gertner, successful 2023, and the brace got joined soon after. As Platner won the superior connected Tuesday, his woman appeared astatine his broadside earlier and aft his speech. They held hands, touched foreheads and kissed.

Old online posts besides surfaced successful which helium appeared to endorse governmental unit and marque remarks dismissive of subject intersexual assault. He besides apologised for posts containing homophobic slurs and insults directed astatine agrarian communities and instrumentality enforcement. A tattoo aboriginal identified arsenic a Nazi awesome prompted further scrutiny. Platner, who had it covered past year, maintained helium was unaware of its significance.

Platner has apologised for his past behaviour and said helium struggled with post-traumatic accent upset and slump pursuing combat work successful Iraq and Afghanistan.

The Maine Democrat openly acknowledged arsenic overmuch Tuesday night, telling a country packed with cheering supporters that “people tin change”.

“I’ve made mistakes successful my life, mistakes that I regret, that I unrecorded with, that I proceed to larn from. I’m inactive acold from perfect, but each time I aftermath up, and I effort to beryllium a small spot amended and a small spot kinder than I was the time before,” Platner told supporters successful Blue Hill, Maine.