Revision History

Graham Platner, a Marine combat veteran and oyster farmer, won Maine's Democratic Senate primary on June 9, 2026, defeating the establishment's preferred candidate and surviving a series of personal scandals to become the party's nominee against Republican incumbent Susan Collins. The Democratic Party establishment, which had recruited Governor Janet Mills for the race only to watch her campaign collapse, is now rallying behind Platner with visible reluctance — setting up one of the most consequential and unpredictable Senate contests of the 2026 midterms.