Graham Platner Wins Primary As Controversy Over Troubled Behavior Swirls

BreakingBusinessGraham Platner Wins Primary As Controversy Over Troubled Behavior SwirlsBySara Dorn,Forbes Staff. Sara Dorn is a Forbes news reporter who covers politics.Follow AuthorJun 09, 2026, 09:35pm EDTToplineGraham Platner secured 75% of votes around the time the Maine Senate Democratic primary was called Tuesday, in what had virtually become an uncontested race, though a string of recent controversies about his relationships with women threaten to derail Democrats’ chances of flipping the seat in November. Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Graham Platner speaks to voters at a town hall at the Elks Lodge 188 on Sunday in Portland, Maine. (Photo by Laura Brett/Getty Images)Getty ImagesKey FactsPlatner ran uncontested in the primary after Gov. Janet Mills effectively ended her campaign in April, before allegations against Platner were made public and as he held a significant polling lead over Mills. Mills remained on the ballot, however, and won 19% of votes. As Platner’s controversies grew, Mills reminded voters she was still on the ballot, telling the Portland Press Herald, “people have the impression that I ‘withdrew’ or ‘dropped out,’ but I simply suspended active campaigning.”Platner will go on to face five-term incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins, who ran uncontested, in the November general election. Platner led Collins in polls before the latest allegations about Platner’s relationships, with a University of New Hampshire survey taken in late May showing Platner leading Collins 51% to 42%. if (!window.cnxel) { window.cnxel = {}; window.cnxel.cmd = []; var iframe = document.createElement('iframe'); iframe.style.display = 'none'; iframe.onload = function() { var iframeDoc = iframe.contentWindow.document; var script = iframeDoc.createElement('script'); script.src = '//cd.elements.video/player.js?cid=62cec241-7d09-4462-afc2-f72f8d8ef40a'; script.setAttribute('defer', '1'); script.setAttribute('type', 'text/javascript'); iframeDoc.body.appendChild(script)...