CNN’s Dana Bash had Puck’s Abby Livingston and the New York Times’ Shane Goldmacher discuss the Maine Senate race. Tonight, Graham Platner will become the official Democrat to challenge Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), but what should have been a shoo-in has turned into a mess, as Platner’s baggage—the Nazi tattoo, graphic Reddit posts, sexting, and allegations of domestic abuse—has complicated his rise to the top.
Bash added that Platner’s criticism that his past is being weaponized is also not accurate—this is stuff from Democrats. The Republicans have yet to release their files on the guy, which has Maine Democrats bracing for trouble.
CNN is now acknowledging that continued Democratic support for Graham Platner is deepening the party’s internal divide, and it’s only going to get worse.
— Turning Point Action Rapid Response (@TPARapidRep) June 8, 2026
'Republicans haven't even started going after him.'
Imagine defending someone like Platner instead of focusing on the work… pic.twitter.com/nAhafDrxxY
Even among Maine anti-Trump voters, their disdain for the president doesn’t translate into automatic support for Platner. The network showed a graph of Maine women voters and seniors who dislike Trump, and there’s still a wide gulf there in the high double-digits. For example, 70 percent of Maine women disapprove of Trump, but only 54 percent support Platner. To win, he needs to peel off Collins’ supporters, which could be a tough task.
This is a crucial race Democrats must win to flip the Senate, and they chose a candidate with significant baggage. It also highlights tensions within the Democratic Party, with the establishment possibly correctly noting that this candidate could derail the entire strategy. Livingston mentioned this could be the Democrats’ version of the 2010 midterms, where poor candidate choices dashed hopes of flipping the upper chamber. In that cycle, which was the Tea Party wave, Republicans retook the House, but their efforts to flip the Senate were hindered by their nomination of some terrible candidates.
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If Platner wins, Livingston anticipates a circus in 2028 over inexperienced presidential candidates who may have enough skeletons to fill the underworld. If he loses, the establishment celebrates a victory, and the civil war between that wing and the hyper-left-wing activist sect continues.
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