PORTLAND, Maine — Embattled oyster farmer Graham Platner drew an astonishing turnout from voters in Maine’s Democratic primary on Tuesday — despite his laundry list of disturbing scandals.
More than 222,600 Mainers voted in the Democratic primary for Senate — up a stunning 37% from the 162,600 voters who turned out to cast their ballots in the 2020 primary, which was a presidential year, according to preliminary data from the Associated Press.
Presidential years typically have higher turnouts than midterms, per data from Maine’s secretary of state.
The number of people who turned out to vote in the closely watched primary represents about 16% of Maine’s population.
Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) — whom Platner is vying to unseat — drew a turnout of around 88,400 in the 2020 GOP primary. She faced a write-in challenger at the time. This go-round, Collins was uncontested.
Platner clinched the Dem nod with about 72% support against Gov. Janet Mills, who suspended her campaign in April, and two other low-tier competitors, according to the latest tally, which has 90% of the votes counted.
Platner’s robust primary support came in spite of controversies such as him having a tattoo that resembled a Totenkopf used by the Nazis, accusations that he engaged in “unsettling” behavior toward past girlfriends, revelations that he sexted with other women while married, his troublesome Reddit history, and more.
Maine has gone blue in every presidential election since 1992.
Despite its blue-state tendencies, Collins has won her Senate seat five times already, including in 2020, when she was trailing in most polls.
Platner has argued that this time will be different because Pine Tree State voters are ready for new blood in the Senate.
He has also posited that backlash from the fall of Roe v. Wade will hamper Collins this time.
“People often forget this, but in 2020, we tried to hang the millstone of Brett Kavanaugh around her neck, but materially, Roe still stood. She could still point to it,” Platner told MS NOW’s “Morning Joe” on Wednesday.
“Here in the state of Maine, things have gotten significantly harder down here in the real world.”
Former Vice President Kamala Harris had won Maine by about 7 percentage points. Collins last won re-election in 2020 by about 8 percentage points.
Despite the long list of scandals plaguing Platner, the National Republican Senatorial Committee warned that he is very formidable in a general election.
“The political fundamentals in Maine remain challenging, and it is a fatal mistake to assume Platner is too damaged to win. He is currently leading. Vice President Harris won the state by 7 points, and the National Democrats view this as their only path to regaining control,” the committee argued in the memo.
“Senator Collins has won tough races before and can win this one, but only if we meet this moment with total urgency,” it added.
“This race can be won, but it will not win itself.”
