It's been a week since the Maine Senate primary, with the Bernie Sanders-backed Graham Platner easily winning the nomination over two other Democrats, including Schumer-backed Gov. Janet Mills, who had suspended her campaign in April but reminded folks after the sexting scandal broke that she was still on the ballot and that the votes would count.
After his victory, my RedState colleague Jennifer Oliver O'Connell pointed out that Democrats now owned the whole Platner clown show going into the general election campaign season, complete with the disgusting Reddit posts, the Nazi tattoo, the numerous lies and embellishments about his background and origin story, the sexting, the allegations of physical abuse and controlling behavior against women, the whole nine yards.
SEE ALSO: Even Democrats Know Graham Platner Is a Disaster. They Just Can't Be Honest About Why.
But has reality set in for the Democrat National Committee (DNC) that this guy is toxic and could be a drag on other key races they need to win back control of the U.S. Senate?
It would certainly seem so:
đź‘€ Graham Platner's picture must be scaring off donations, the DNC decided to CUT him from their sponsored Facebook ads.
— Republicans (@Republicans) June 15, 2026
Democrats know he is a deeply disturbed lunatic, and they're terrified. pic.twitter.com/7w3in9Oir5
To be fair, Platner has got his share of true believers, from Sen. Sanders (I-VT) and Democrat Rep. Ro Khanna (CA-17) all the way down to rank-and-file Maine Democrats who made clear with their primary vote for Platner that they wouldn't care if he kicked puppies and stole from old ladies as long as he helped Democrats reclaim the Senate.
But something we've talked about before is that Platner also needs the votes of independents if he is to defeat Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), and independents are going to be a harder sell for the DNC and Democrat Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) than any remaining holdout Democrats in Maine are.
The same also holds true in some of those other competitive Senate races the DNC mentioned in their Facebook ads, and perhaps for that reason, they might have thought better about including the Platner-Collins race in that mix.
One thing is for sure: Establishment Democrats are continuing to throw these tepid non-endorsements out there as concerns grow about Platner's viability as a general election nominee:
🚨WATCH: Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) refuses to directly endorse Graham Platner, instead vowing to "beat Susan Collins" without naming Platner directly. pic.twitter.com/ViJNKpciPx
— Off The Press (@OffThePress1) June 16, 2026
RELATED: Bad News for Dems With Latest Polling Data on Platner
As we've talked about before, Democrats still have time to "Joe Biden" Graham Platner, but in order for them to be able to legally put a replacement candidate on the ballot, Platner would have to drop out by the second Tuesday in July, which is the 14th. However, this is unlikely to happen because doing so would cause a splintering between establishment Dems and the "Platner wing" of the party that could still wind up costing them control of the Senate.
In other words, they may well be screwed, no matter what they decide to do. You love to see it. You truly do.
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.
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