A new Pan Atlantics Poll in Maine finds Graham Platner (D) leading Gov. Janet Mills (D) in the Democratic U.S. Senate primary by 7 points, 46% to 39% with another 11% undecided.

Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) endorsed Graham Platner (D) in the Democratic Maine Senate primary, the AP reports.

Maine Gov. Janet Mills (D) launched a tough new ad hitting Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) as “always concerned, but never courageous” in the state’s U.S. Senate contest

“Among the Super Bowl commercials hawking potato chips, beer and cars, viewers who tune in to the big game in Maine on Sunday will see a spot for the state’s Republican senator, Susan Collins, who is viewed as one of her party’s most vulnerable Senate incumbents,” the New York Times reports.

“The 30-second ad, which highlights efforts by Ms. Collins to support firefighters, is part of an expensive effort by a Republican-aligned group to help Ms. Collins fend off what is expected to be a fierce Democratic challenge in November.”

“Good Lord. I’m not Joe Biden for God’s sake.”

— Maine Gov. Janet Mills (D), quoted by CNN, reiterating that she would serve just one term if elected as the oldest freshman senator ever.

“The surge of federal immigration agents into Maine has put the Senate’s most vulnerable Republican, Susan Collins, on the defensive — and in avoidance mode — as she fends off attacks from two Democratic challengers who say she needs to stand up to President Donald Trump,” the Washington Post reports.

A group aligned with Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) is planning to spend tens of millions of dollars to protect centrist Sen. Susan Collins of Maine in this year’s midterms, even as President Trump has repeatedly criticized her for breaking with the party, the Wall Street Journal reports.

Maine U.S. Senate candidate Graham Platner (D) raised $4.7 million in the final quarter of the year, Axios reports.

“The fundraising haul suggests that Platner — a Bernie Sanders-endorsed populist who came under fire for a Nazi-linked tattoo and controversial social media posts — may have weathered the storm for the time being.”

“Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner’s social media history is a major general election liability, a new Democratic polling memo warns,” Politico reports.

“The survey, conducted on behalf of the Democratic group EMILY’s List, finds that most voters wouldn’t support Platner over Republican Sen. Susan Collins after learning of his past social media posts in which he called himself a communist, denigrated the police and characterized white people in rural Maine as ‘stupid’ and ‘racist.’”

“When voters are read direct quotes from Platner’s since-deleted Reddit posts, he loses to Collins by double digits.”

Maine U.S. Senate candidate Graham Platner (D) told NBC News he’s pushing ahead with his Senate race and insisted he’s a more “electable” candidate than Democratic rival Gov. Janet Mills.

Said Platner: “It is amusing for me to watch the campaign described in the media as collapsing or falling apart — when internally, we frankly have not felt this strong since the beginning.”

“The finance director for Graham Platner’s Senate campaign announced his resignation on Friday, the latest in a series of personnel departures for the Maine hopeful’s high-profile bid that has been marred by controversies over old social media posts and his tattoo with Nazi connotations,” Politico reports.

Maine Gov. Janet Mills, 77, won’t commit to release her medical records in her 2026 bid for Senate, as her Democratic primary opponents call for a new generation of leadership in Congress, Axios reports.

Jonathan Chait: “Graham Platner is the perfect embodiment of the left’s strategy for returning to power…”

“Platner’s approach may yet work. He does possess charisma and a sympathetic background. Assuming he survives the primary next June, he would be running in a state that Kamala Harris won by seven points and that has not voted Republican in a presidential election since 1988. Democrats will almost certainly need to compromise with the electorate if they want to win majorities in both congressional chambers, but they might get away with not doing so in Maine.”

“But the reason Democrats are underdogs in this race is that its incumbent, Susan Collins, has won election after election by cultivating a reputation as a moderate, which illustrates the value of ideological moderation. So far, Platner is making little effort to do this.”

“Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner’s campaign manager is stepping down from his position,” Axios reports.

“Kevin Brown, a longtime friend of Platner’s who started as campaign manager last week, is leaving his role… Platner’s former political director, Genevieve McDonald, also previously departed the campaign.”

Maine Gov. Janet Mills (D) has taken the lead over Democratic primary challenger Graham Platner in the 2026 Senate race, 41% to 36%, according to a SoCal Strategies Maine Poll.

Maine U.S. Senate candidate Graham Platner (D) talked to The Atlantic about his controversial tattoo.

“He told me that after he got the tattoo, he had two full-body screenings for tattoos as a requirement for government work, including screening for ‘hate’ tattoos, in both the Army and as part of his State Department work, and that the skull was not flagged either time. He told me that members of his family are Jewish, and that he has had his shirt off around them many times without anyone objecting to the tattoo.”

Said Platner: “Eighteen years. It’s never come up.”

A new University of New Hampshire poll in Maine finds Graham Platner (D) leads Gov. Janet Mills (D) in the Democratic race for the U.S. Senate nomination, 58% to 24%.

Platner’s lead is fueled by self-described socialists and progressives along with young people.

Maine U.S. Senate candidate Graham Platner (D), who has already apologized for earlier misogynistic and racially insensitive remarks and said he did not realize that a tattoo on his chest resembled a Nazi SS emblem, is again under scrutiny, this time for anti-LGBTQ+ comments, the Advocate reports.

Platner confirmed that he authored a series of Reddit comments that include homophobic slurs, anti-LGBTQ+ jokes, and sexually explicit stories denigrating gay men.

Said Platner: “It’s indefensible.”