Platner wins Maine Democratic Senate primary, vows to oust Collins

Platner wins Maine Senate superior contempt controversies, mounting up a cardinal contention against Republican Susan Collins.

Graham Platner, a United States Army seasoned and oyster farmer, has won the Maine Democratic primary for the Senate, mounting up a high-stakes contention against Republican Senator Susan Collins.

Platner’s triumph connected Tuesday came aft days of questions implicit damaging revelations astir his past idiosyncratic conduct, peculiarly successful his relationships with women.

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Platner, successful his acceptance speech, acknowledged voters’ concerns, pledging to gain their “trust, religion and support” implicit the people of the campaign.

Democrats spot the contention arsenic a apical accidental to flip a Republican-held spot and a must-win arsenic the enactment tries to assertion power of the Senate successful November.

Collins, archetypal elected successful 1996 and seat of the almighty Committee connected Appropriations, is the past Republican legislator from New England. Maine backed Democrat Kamala Harris implicit Donald Trump successful the 2024 statesmanlike race.

Platner, 41, has focused his run connected the rising outgo of living, lodging affordability and healthcare, and secured aboriginal endorsements from progressive figures, including Senator Bernie Sanders. But Governor Janet Mills, who withdrew from the contention citing fundraising difficulties, has yet to endorse him.

Controversies shadiness Platner’s campaign

His candidacy has been clouded by a bid of controversies, including reports of sexually explicit messages exchanged with women portion helium was joined and allegations from a erstwhile woman of carnal intimidation.

Platner’s run has disputed the claims.

Old online posts besides surfaced successful which helium appeared to endorse governmental unit and marque remarks dismissive of subject intersexual assault, comments helium attributed to a play of acute intelligence wellness struggles, including PTSD and slump pursuing 2 combat deployments.

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 has since had it covered, maintained helium was unaware of its significance.

In his triumph speech, Platner stressed a connection of redemption arsenic helium promised to oust Collins. “If you believe, arsenic I do, that we tin alteration our authorities and alteration our country, past you indispensable besides judge that radical tin change,” helium told supporters successful Blue Hill, the agrarian municipality wherever helium was born.

“And the crushed I judge that is due to the fact that I person lived it.”

He besides slammed Collins, accusing her of rubber-stamping blimpish Supreme Court justices and supporting what helium called “endless wars”. A Marine and Army seasoned who served successful 2 conflicts, Platner addressed Collins, saying, “You and your friends profited, and my friends died.”

US Senator Susan Collins connected the time of Senate votes, connected Capitol Hill successful Washington, DC [Evan Vucci/Reuters]

Collins, who was unopposed successful the Republican Maine primary, has countered that her acquisition and cardinal presumption arsenic seat of the Committee connected Appropriations are 2 reasons to nonstop her backmost to the Senate.

“While others speech astir gyration and division, Susan Collins is delivering for Maine communities by backing agrarian hospitals, supporting our shipbuilders and fishermen, improving infrastructure, expanding broadband, and strengthening nationalist safety,” said Collins’ spokesperson, Shawn Roderick.

“Maine radical are practical. They attraction astir whether their communities are stronger and their families are amended off. That’s precisely what Susan Collins is focused connected each azygous day.”

Elsewhere successful Maine, ranked-choice tabulations volition beryllium required to find the outcomes of the Democratic gubernatorial superior and the 2nd Congressional District race, wherever nary campaigner secured an outright majority. The eventual Democratic nominee successful the territory volition look erstwhile Governor Paul LePage, a adjacent state of Trump.