Democrats are between a rock and a hard place now that Maine Gov. Janet Mills has dropped out of the Senate primary race.
The hard place is a man named Graham Platner, who has a penchant for Nazi tattoos and is so far to the left he makes Mao Zedong look like Ronald Reagan. The question people are already asking is whether Democrats will throw their support behind him despite his long list of scandals.
Before Mills stepped down, Platner was leading in the polls and this development could increase his lead, especially if the party doesn’t oppose him.
Platner has come under fire over old comments he made online. Resurfaced Reddit posts showed Platner praising Hamas’ October 7, 2023, surprise attack on Israel in which terrorists murdered Israeli civilians.
Congrats to Graham Platner, the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Maine. He's surging by taking on the billionaire class and fighting for working families.
— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) April 30, 2026
Americans are tired of status quo politics. They want REAL change and that's what Graham will deliver.
He also referred to himself as a communist, attacked police, and downplayed sexual assault in the military. The candidate trained in an Antifa-style militia as well. Even more damaging was the revelation that he had a tattoo on his chest that appeared to resemble Nazi imagery. Platner apologized for the posts and said he had his tattoo covered up.
We don’t need to speculate about how Democrats would react to this if Platner had an “R” next to his name, right? Yet, it appears that since Platner is in their tribe, some high-profile Democrats are willing to overlook it.
Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) endorsed Platner in March, saying he “is the type of fighter Maine hasn’t witnessed in a long time—someone who candidly shares his views, remains unencumbered by special interests, and prioritizes working families every day.”
.@grahamformaine is the kind of fighter Maine hasn’t seen in a long time, someone who tells you exactly what he thinks, doesn’t owe anything to the special interests, and wakes up every day thinking about working families. He’s a Marine, and reflects the grit and independence… pic.twitter.com/jXvzjSVmtQ
— Ruben Gallego (@RubenGallego) March 2, 2026
Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-NM) also backed Platner, saying the candidate “is focused on delivering for Mainers, not billionaire donors” and that he is “exactly the person the Democratic Party needs to win back working people.”
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), also known as “Lieawatha,” did more than just say nice things about the candidate. She also rallied with him in Maine.
Graham has inspired the people of Maine because he's the fighter for working people that we need in the Senate.
— Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) April 30, 2026
He’s ready to fight for universal health care, taxing the rich and unrigging the system that benefits the wealthy and well-connected.
Let's win this @grahamformaine.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) backed Mills instead of Platner as did other members of the Democratic establishment. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer did the same, along with Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV).
It’s not clear whether the early naysayers will fall in line or back one of the other candidates. It essentially means they have to decide whether or not they will throw their support behind a far leftist who has an appreciation for Nazi tattoos. Either way, Democrats have some tough choices to make if they want to have a chance at defeating incumbent Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME).
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