Latest Two Polls in Maine Senate Race Show More Troubling Developments for Graham Platner

Latest Two Polls in Maine Senate Race Show More Troubling Developments for Graham Platner

Ahead of the June primary, Graham Platner was looking a bit like Teflon Graham – a guy who kept getting hit with one scandal after another and yet led his more well-known primary opponent, Maine Gov. Janet Mills, comfortably in polling throughout most of the race.

Amid the sexting and domestic abuse allegation scandals, which hit in May, Mills, who had suspended her campaign in late April, even reminded folks that the votes cast for her in the primary would still count, in case anyone had a change of heart. It didn’t work, though. Platner easily bested Mills, further proving the point in the eyes of some political observers that he seemed invincible.

But primary races aren’t general election campaigns, the latter of which can be a tough sell for some seemingly invincible candidates, especially those who enter it with the type of baggage Platner has, and especially those where the incumbent has repeatedly defied the odds – as Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) has.

Headed into the June 8 primary, we were already beginning to see chinks in Platner’s polling armor, with his campaign’s own internal polling numbers showing Collins closing in.

The most recent two polls, both released earlier this week, show even bigger problems on the horizon for Platner.

A New York Times/Portland Press Herald/Siena poll shows that despite his near-constant attacks on Collins, Platner’s extensive baggage is starting to catch up with him to the point that it has cost him support, even among voters who say Democrats winning back the Senate is a top priority:

By and large, the surveyed voters lean Democratic. Over half voted for Kamala Harris in 2024; today, they overwhelmingly disapprove of President Donald Trump’s presidency, excoriating how he’s handled the economy, cost-of-living crisis, immigration and the Iran war. Come this fall, most voters prefer that Democrats take control of the Senate.

But Platner’s controversial past has turned off some Mainers. An oyster farmer who’s never held elected office, his campaign was beset by scandal: a tattoo with Nazi overtones, unearthed Reddit posts and allegedly “unsettling” treatment of women. A majority of surveyed voters said his string of controversies has either called into question their support for him or made them disavow him entirely. And Collins is winning 10 percent of voters who would prefer Democrats take control of the Senate.

New NYT/Siena poll of Maine race.

It’s close.
Platner: 49
Collins: 47https://t.co/5Q8fB1LosS pic.twitter.com/qgjmzNoRyf

— Alex Thompson (@AlexThomp) June 29, 2026

NYT/Portland Press Herald/Siena poll | 6/19-6/26 LV

US Senate Maine 2026

Is too extreme?
🟦Graham Platner 47%
🟥Susan Collins 34% (incumbent)
——
Has good character
🟥Susan Collins 66% (incumbent)
🟦Graham Platner 44%
——
Has the right kind of moral values
🟥Susan Collins 61%… https://t.co/nV2xsZ4oW7 pic.twitter.com/Lww6Y3vJfD

— Politics & Poll Tracker 📡 (@PollTracker2024) June 29, 2026

A Fox News poll released earlier this week showed Collins in the lead over Platner by three points, the first time she has led in this race:

Fox News (Beacon/Shaw) poll | 6/23-6/27

US Senate Maine 2026

🟥Susan Collins 50% (incumbent)
🟦Graham Platner 47% pic.twitter.com/kphr1sxJhD

— Politics & Poll Tracker 📡 (@PollTracker2024) June 30, 2026

Something else to keep in mind is the likelihood that Collins may actually be doing better than these polls reflect, something we saw play out in her 2020 Senate race:

Literally not a single poll in the RCP average had Susan Collins winning Maine.

Quinnipiac had Gideon at +12 pic.twitter.com/I9tOfqPtGr

— Greg Price (@greg_price11) November 4, 2020

Collins won it, 51 percent to 42 percent.

Another thing the Platner campaign should also be concerned about is the fact that a Democrat activist who was instrumental in bringing the sexual harassment/assault allegations against disgraced former Democrat Rep. Eric Swalwell to light now has her sights set on Platner, whom she initially endorsed but now no longer does:

According to the report, multiple women from Platner’s past have connected with the same progressive women’s rights organization that helped bring forward the allegations that derailed former U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell’s political career.

[…]

Cheyenne Hunt, an attorney and progressive social media influencer who previously endorsed Platner, is now working with multiple women who had prior personal relationships with him, NBC News reported. Hunt is helping the women navigate press attention, while her organization, Reckoning Action, is providing pro bono legal counsel, according to two people who spoke with Hunt about her plans, as cited by NBC. NBC also described Hunt as an early Platner supporter who backed him in last year’s Senate primary before later becoming involved in an effort opposing him.

The involvement of Hunt suggests that the storm currently brewing just over the horizon for Platner will be harder to fend off than the allegations published in the New York Times.

Here's how to read between the lines. This is a "process piece." There are allegations out against Graham Platner. Ones you haven't heard about yet. At least some of these allegations have gone to the press, but have not been published yet. The women have legal representation. pic.twitter.com/dMg57kSNcl

— Magdi Jacobs (@magi_jay) July 2, 2026

This is what is essentially undeniable. Graham Platner and his team are using campaign resources to suppress these stories. There are multiple allegations of violence against women & Graham Platner's legal team is likely working to strangle the stories.

— Magdi Jacobs (@magi_jay) July 2, 2026

Legal Insurrection readers may recall that rumors were flying in early June that The New York Times had allegedly backed off from publishing even more damning allegations against Platner after giving his campaign 24 hours to respond to the story they wrote that noted a former girlfriend had alleged domestic abuse and controlling behavior.

The Daily Caller wrote more about it at the time:

– A source tells @wupton that the NYT had two women prepared to make sexual assault allegations against Platner.
– Those details were revealed to Fifield, presumably to make her feel more comfortable coming forward
– They never made it into the story, allegedly being removed at the behest of NYT editors and Platner’s lawyers.
– The Platner campaign was originally only given two hours to respond, but that stretched into 24 hours, contrary to what interview subjects were told.

NEW from @dailycaller on the NYT's catch and kill operation:

– A source tells @wupton that the NYT had two women prepared to make sexual assault allegations against Platner.
– Those details were revealed to Fifield, presumably to make her feel more comfortable coming forward… pic.twitter.com/buC8wN5u0i

— Amber Duke (@ambermarieduke) June 4, 2026

With that in mind, it will be interesting to see if the other presumed allegations ever see the light of day. Then again, they might be keeping them under wraps until after July 14, which would be the deadline in Maine for Platner to drop out. That would then give the Maine Democratic Party about a week and a half to legally place someone else’s name on the ballot.

– Stacey Matthews has also written under the  pseudonym “Sister Toldjah” and can be reached via X. –

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