Maine Governor Mills Urged to Resume Senate Campaign
11 reported3 unconfirmed
A commentary piece published by Washington Monthly argues that Maine Governor Janet Mills should unsuspend her U.S. Senate campaign ahead of the June 9 primary. The article notes that Mills suspended her campaign on April 30, leaving military veteran and oyster farmer Graham Platner as the presumptive Democratic nominee. The author contends that Platner’s past controversial social media posts and a Nazi-themed tattoo have attracted media coverage, and that his recent interactions with reporters raise questions about his candidacy. The piece suggests that Mills, who remains on the ballot, could give voters a real choice by resuming active campaigning. It acknowledges that Platner leads in polls against Republican incumbent Susan Collins but warns that primary voters deserve to decide the nominee. The article is based solely on the provided text and represents the opinion of the author, not confirmed facts from multiple sources.
What’s reported
Governor Janet Mills suspended her U.S. Senate campaign on April 30.
Graham Platner, a military veteran and oyster farmer, has consistently led in primary and general election polls.
The Maine primary is scheduled for June 9.
Platner has a checkered social media history and a covered-up Nazi-themed tattoo.
Platner leads Susan Collins by seven points in the lone poll taken since Mills’s suspension.
In 2020, the Democratic nominee led every poll from February to October but lost to Collins by nine points.
A Fox News reporter approached Platner in a grocery store parking lot near his Sullivan, Maine home before Memorial Day.
Platner commented on a Reddit post about a wounded veteran, saying, “Dumb motherfucker didn’t deserve to live.”
Platner told The New Yorker Radio Hour in December, “I made a lot of comments that I’m not ashamed of.”
Mills is 78 years old and cited lack of financial resources for suspending active campaigning.
David Costello is another Democrat on the ballot; he lost to Senator Angus King two years ago.
Open questions
Whether Mills will unsuspend her campaign.
How voters will view Platner in November after five months of attacks.
Which specific Reddit posts Platner was apologizing for in his October statement.
Key figures
Janet Mills: Maine Governor, suspended U.S. Senate candidate
Graham Platner: Military veteran, oyster farmer, Democratic primary candidate
Susan Collins: Republican incumbent U.S. Senator from Maine
David Costello: Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate
Representative Jake Auchinloss: Massachusetts congressman who called Platner’s tattoo “personally disqualifying”
Private First Class Ted Daniels: Soldier mentioned in Platner’s Reddit comment
Sources: washingtonmonthly.com
