Democrats spent months selling Maine as their golden ticket back to a Senate majority. Now that ticket has a Nazi tattoo, a string of disturbing allegations, and the party establishment is certainly bracing for what comes next. Behind closed doors, the panic is setting in. The only question left is whether anyone in the Democrat Party leadership has the nerve to do anything about it before it's too late.
Graham Platner has become exactly the kind of headache the Democrat Party can't afford right now. He's piled up scandal after scandal, and the cascade threatens to sink Democrats’ hopes of flipping the seat currently held by Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine). Had the party only listened to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), it wouldn't be stuck in this mess. He recruited Gov. Janet Mills, who would not only have been a loyal Democrat vote in the Senate but had also won a statewide election before. She was their best bet in every way.
But, no, the party wanted the Nazi Tattoo Guy.
Platner won the Maine Senate Democratic primary easily, despite his baggage. Aside from the tattoo, there’s the sexting scandal, allegations of physical abuse and controlling behavior toward women, and the portapotty fetish.
The DNC clearly knows they have a toxic candidate on their hands. And there’s not much they can do about it, but they’re trying to pretend it’s not really a problem. For example, the party has been running Facebook ads promoting competitive Senate races across the country, and the Platner-Collins matchup has been notably absent from these ads.
👀 Graham Platner's picture must be scaring off donations, the DNC decided to CUT him from their sponsored Facebook ads.
— Republicans (@Republicans) June 15, 2026
Democrats know he is a deeply disturbed lunatic, and they're terrified. pic.twitter.com/7w3in9Oir5
Ouch.
Democrats have called Maine the most important race of this year’s midterms, insisting they can't retake the Senate without it. Yet, they’re treating that election like it doesn’t exist.
Platner still has powerful friends, including Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), along with plenty of rank-and-file Maine Democrats who voted for him anyway because they want the seat more than they care about who's holding it. Establishment Democrats, meanwhile, have offered little more than tepid non-endorsements instead of anything resembling enthusiasm.
That’s a bad situation. How does the party sell a candidate they can’t stand behind?
Of course, there’s a caveat. Democrats do have a legal window to replace him. Let’s call it pullin’ a Biden. Platner would have to drop out voluntarily by July 14, and let me tell you, Platner ain’t leaving voluntarily. Forcing him off the ballot risks splitting the party between the establishment wing and the grassroots, and such division would be devastating. But there’s another problem. And Republicans are setting a trap. As we previously reported, they are sitting on the worst material they have on him until after that deadline passes, which tells you everything about how this is designed to play out.
So Schumer and the DNC are boxed in. Keep Platner, and they risk losing Maine to Collins while dragging down other competitive races. Push him out, and they risk a revolt that tears the party apart from the inside.
Grab the popcorn, everyone. This one's going to be fun to watch.
