A bitter Democratic major is unfolding in Maine as two candidates battle for the prospect to problem five-term Republican Sen. Susan Collins, one of many GOP’s most weak incumbents within the upcoming midterm elections.
The race pits a centrist sitting governor, Janet Mills, in opposition to a progressive firebrand, Graham Platner, an oyster farmer, army veteran and former personal army contractor who has constructed momentum in current months. It is also a generational contest, with the 78-year-old Mills pointing to her monitor file of successful statewide whereas 41-year-old Platner casts himself as an outsider candidate.
Polling within the race is proscribed, however some current surveys present Platner main Mills amongst Democratic major voters. Platner’s marketing campaign can also have a monetary edge, elevating some $7.8 million final 12 months in comparison with Mills’ $2.6 million and Collins’ $4.6 million, based on federal filings. Much less well-known Democratic candidate David Costello has raised simply over $21,000, not together with loans.
The race is one among this 12 months’s most intently watched Senate contests, a uncommon alternative for the get together to choose up a seat within the chamber within the midterms. It’s certain to attract vital outdoors spending, given the extraordinary curiosity within the race and its nationwide stakes.
The high-stakes contest has triggered an escalation in assaults, with the Mills marketing campaign unveiling a destructive advert Tuesday that highlights controversial statements allegedly made by Platner on the web discussion board Reddit.
The advert quotes Platner writing in 2013 that ladies involved about rape ought to “not get so f***ed up they wind up having intercourse with somebody they do not imply to” and will “act like an grownup for f***s sake.”
In keeping with sources acquainted with the marketing campaign’s media technique, the six-figure advert purchase is operating statewide throughout broadcast, cable and streaming platforms.
CBS Information has reached out to representatives of Platner’s marketing campaign for remark.
Platner has beforehand apologized for a lot of of these posts. Requested concerning the rape-related remark, he instructed The Atlantic final 12 months that he was “f***ing embarrassed.”
“For these of you who’ve learn this stuff and been offended, have learn this stuff and seen somebody that you do not acknowledge, I’m deeply sorry,” Platner stated in an October video, saying the posts have been written “in an earlier a part of my life.” He added that among the posts echoed the “crude humor” that was widespread in army circles, and mirrored the despair and post-traumatic stress dysfunction that he confronted after his time in Iraq with the Marine Corps and in Afghanistan with the Nationwide Guard.
Platner’s Reddit historical past has drawn controversy since final fall, when CNN and a number of other different information retailers uncovered posts through which he allegedly referred to as himself a communist, referred to cops as “bastards” and appeared to agree with the sentiment that rural White persons are racist and silly.
Platner has additionally confronted scrutiny after it was revealed final 12 months that he had a tattoo that resembled a Nazi image. He stated he has since lined up the tattoo, which he says he acquired throughout an evening of heavy consuming in Croatia virtually twenty years in the past and did not understand it had any Nazi connotations.
The social media posts and tattoo have fueled intra-party controversy in a race the place each main Democratic candidates have centered a lot of their public messaging on attacking Collins.
Mills, a well-liked governor, was a high recruit of Senate Minority Chief Chuck Schumer. In the course of the marketing campaign, she has pointed to her file as a district lawyer, lawyer normal and two-term governor — successful reelection in 2022 with 55% of the vote in opposition to former GOP Gov. Paul LePage. She has additionally vowed to struggle President Trump, drawing nationwide consideration final 12 months, when she verbally sparred with the president about transgender athletes at a White Home occasion.
“See you in courtroom,” Mills stated to Mr. Trump after he threatened to chop off funding to Maine.
However Mills is a goal for requires generational change from the get together’s base. In a single Platner advert launched final 12 months, an unnamed individual says Mills “was a great governor, however I feel it is time for change.” He has additionally referred to as the competition a “generational race” about “outdated concepts vs new concepts.”
Platner has run an rebel marketing campaign, in search of to enchantment to the populist and progressive wings of the Democratic Occasion. Platner and his allies have argued that Democrats, who’re nonetheless unpopular in current polls, want a extra confrontational candidate prepared to not solely problem Mr. Trump and Republicans, but in addition buck the get together institution.
Whereas Mills has Schumer’s backing, Platner has picked up endorsements from a number of members of the Democratic caucus, together with Sens. Ruben Gallego of Arizona and Bernie Sanders of Vermont. He is additionally drawn endorsements from the United Auto Staff and the Maine State Nurses Affiliation.
The winner of the Democratic major in June will face off in opposition to Collins, who has represented Maine within the Senate for almost three many years.
Collins is a high goal for Democrats, who must flip 4 GOP-held seats in an effort to take a majority within the Senate, a tall order since many of the Republican-held seats at play this 12 months are in deep-red states. Maine leans Democratic, with Mr. Trump shedding statewide by 7 proportion factors in 2024.
However defeating Collins isn’t essentially a simple process. The lifelong Mainer — who hails from the state’s northernmost and most remoted county — has carved out an id as a average who’s prepared to interrupt with Mr. Trump and GOP leaders, and she or he has deep native ties all through the state. Collins has vexed Democrats for years: She gained reelection in 2020 by 8.6 factors at the same time as Mr. Trump misplaced within the state by 9 factors, regardless of spending half as a lot cash as Democratic opponent Sara Gideon.
