With 42 percent of precincts reporting, Decision Desk HQ has projected that Democrat Graham Platner has won the Maine primary for U.S. Senate. Platner handily bested his opponents, garnering 75 percent of the vote. Gov. Janet Mills, who suspended her campaign for Senate when Platner began to surge ahead in polling and support, was still on the ballot and garnered 20 percent of the vote. The other Democrat candidate, David Costello, trailed in third place with 7 percent of the vote.
Decision Desk HQ projects Graham Platner wins the ME US Senate Democratic Primary#DecisionMade: 9:07 PM EDT pic.twitter.com/gDHqJEMsND
— Decision Desk HQ (@DecisionDeskHQ) June 10, 2026
As RedState reported, Platner's candidacy has been scrutinized and scandal-plagued almost from its inception. As our Senior Editor Joe Cunningham wrote:
The column runs through the full scandal file. There is the chest tattoo bearing a Nazi Totenkopf symbol that Platner claims he did not know was a Nazi symbol until the fall of 2025, by which point he was already running for Senate. There are the sexually explicit texts sent to as many as a dozen women after his 2023 marriage, his Kik profile still active when reporters found it. There is the New York Times report on former girlfriends who described volatile relationships, including Lyndsey Fifield, who said Platner “twisted her arm behind her back, shoved her into a bedroom and held the door closed from the other side so she couldn’t get out.”
Add the years of sexist and racist Reddit posts and the exaggerated working-class background, and you have a candidate whose entire biography is under active revision.
Despite these crater-sized and landmine-filled potholes in his candidacy, Platner has maintained the endorsement of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Democrat Congressman Ro Khanna (CA-17). They have been Platner's staunchest defenders, even after other key Democrats, like Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA), have encouraged the party to cut its losses and back another candidate.
Platner was effusive in his thanks to his supporters in Maine for having his back, and he promised to have theirs as he goes forward in the race to win the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Republican Susan Collins.
Editor’s Note: The 2026 Midterms will determine the fate of President Trump’s America First agenda. Republicans must maintain control of both chambers of Congress.
Help RedState continue to report on the Democrats’ radicalism and inform voters as our nation faces a crossroads. Join RedState VIP and use promo code FIGHT to receive 60% off your membership.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member