A bruising Democratic primary in Maine to challenge Republican Sen. Susan Collins has turned into an expensive, high-profile contest between Gov. Janet Mills and political newcomer Graham Platner, with Collins largely sitting on cash while outside Republican groups heavily back her reelection.
With the June 9 primary more than two months away, Mills and Platner have been spending heavily and trading attacks as they jockey to become the Democratic nominee to take on Collins, who is running for a sixth term. The contest has become a proxy fight between Democratic establishment forces and insurgent activists within the party.
Background and endorsements
Mills, a two-term governor who was recruited by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, is viewed by many party leaders as the safer general-election choice because of her statewide wins. Platner, an Iraq and Afghanistan combat veteran turned oyster farmer who launched his campaign before Mills entered, quickly won the endorsement of Sen. Bernie Sanders and has energized crowds with retail campaigning and an anti-establishment message that criticizes Democrats’ past approaches to beating Collins.
Controversy over Platner’s past
Platner’s insurgent momentum has been tempered by revelations of old, offensive social media posts and a now-covered tattoo mirroring Nazi iconography that surfaced after Mills joined the race. CNN first reported on deleted posts in October; Platner acknowledged they were his. Despite the fallout, he has shown resilience in the race. Recent polls from the University of New Hampshire Survey Center and Maine-based Pan Atlantic SMS have shown him ahead of Mills in the primary.
Mills has seized on Platner’s past comments in a recent ad that highlighted a 2013 Reddit post in which Platner criticized sexual assault-prevention measures by saying, in part, “How about people just take some responsibility for themselves and not get so f***ed up they wind up having sex with someone they don’t mean to?” The ad features a group of women reacting to the comments while a narrator reads them aloud.
Platner responded with a media event featuring women who spoke on his behalf and issued a public apology, saying he was “horrified” reading his old posts and attributing them to anger and disillusionment from his combat experiences. His campaign also produced a direct-to-camera TV spot rebutting Mills’ attack.
Spending and outside groups
Platner has outspent Mills on advertising, roughly $4.2 million to Mills’ $1.16 million, according to AdImpact, and his campaign has outraised Mills nearly three-to-one in Federal Election Commission filings through last year. His recent ad buys exceeded the governor’s by a large margin during the same period.
Collins herself has spent relatively little—about $240,000 so far—while outside Republican groups have mounted a major effort to protect her seat. The largest spender to date is One Nation, an issue-advocacy group that has spent just over $10 million on ads, web placements, texts and mailers highlighting Collins’ record securing federal funding for Maine. Because of its designation as an issue advocacy group, One Nation can run favorable messaging for Collins without directly coordinating or formally disclosing donors tied to her campaign.
Democratic-aligned super PACs and dark-money groups are active as well, but much of their spending has targeted Collins rather than explicitly backing a Democratic primary hopeful, and the Mills–Platner clash has largely dominated attention and resources on the Democratic side.
Strategic calculus and risks
Political analysts say the early spending by both Democrats makes strategic sense. Platner needs to introduce himself to voters statewide, while Mills is trying to define him to primary voters and depress his support among key constituencies. Ron Schmidt, a political science professor at the University of Southern Maine, notes Mills’ attack on Platner aims directly at female voters—an effort to mobilize a bloc she believes could help her in the primary and the general election.
But Schmidt cautions the tactic carries risks: alienating Platner’s supporters now could suppress turnout or cause divisions that hinder Democrats in a general election against Collins. Mills has defended her strategy, saying it’s important voters hear Platner’s own words. Platner frames the attacks as an effort by the party establishment to destroy a grassroots candidacy, urging supporters to see his campaign as a challenge to entrenched power.
Outlook
The race remains competitive and expensive, with Democratic infighting and heavy Republican outside spending shaping the landscape. How the primary resolves will influence not only who faces Collins in November but also whether intraparty tensions leave Democrats united and energized for the general election.