A handful of Senate Democrats is increasingly confident they can reclaim control of the chamber this November, even if they fail to unseat Republican Sen. Susan Collins in Maine.
Graham Platner won the Democrat primary for Maine’s U.S. Senate seat on Tuesday, advancing to a general election matchup against Collins. While national Democrat organizations quickly rallied behind Platner following his primary victory, not all members of the Senate Democrat Caucus are convinced that Maine remains Democrats’ best chance to flip a Republican-held Senate seat.
Republicans believe additional revelations could further damage Platner’s candidacy. According to NBC News, several Democrats have privately explored whether there are viable options to replace Platner before Maine’s July filing deadline. One Republican strategist involved in Senate races told the outlet that the GOP is holding back potentially damaging information about Platner until after that deadline passes. The strategist said Republicans want to avoid giving Democrats an opportunity to replace Platner if new information emerges before then.
Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-GA) suggested Democrats have expanded their opportunities across the map and are no longer relying on a single race to determine control of the Senate.
“We have many opportunities. And that map has grown wider as the American people have gotten to see the awful impact of the Trump policies,” Warnock told Semafor. “We’re in the midst of an election. This thing can turn out many ways … but I tell you what, I feel a lot better than I did a year ago.”
Maine has long been viewed as one of Democrats’ strongest chances to gain a Republican-held seat. Collins remains the only Republican senator representing a state that consistently votes Democrat in presidential elections. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) urged Democrats to remain committed to the race.
“Maine is certainly a place where we think we have a really good pickup opportunity, and you never turn your back on that,” Warren told Semafor. “He has a really good chance to win in this race. And we should help him do it.”
However, several Democrats have pointed to controversies surrounding Platner as a reason not to depend exclusively on Maine. Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV) said Democrats can regain the majority even without winning Maine.
“You’ve got Alaska, you have Sherrod Brown in Ohio, you have [former North Carolina] Gov. Cooper … Iowa. And, you know, Talarico is doing pretty good in Texas. So I think for sure there is a path for us to take the Senate back, and for sure we’re going to make some dents every place that we can,” Rosen said.
Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA) declined to weigh in on the race, claiming he has not been involved in Maine politics. Warnock said that Platner has connected with voters on economic concerns.
One of Platner’s sharpest critics among Democrats has been Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA), who has repeatedly mocked Platner and questioned whether Democrats should overlook allegations and past conduct that would ordinarily disqualify a nominee. Platner responded by calling Fetterman an “asshole” and accusing him of being aligned with pro-Israel interests.
Platner’s campaign was plagued by a series of controversies. Former girlfriend Lyndsey Fifield accused him of rough behavior during their relationship, alleging that he grabbed her hard enough to leave marks, locked her in a room after an argument, and pulled her from a taxi by her wrists.
Reports also surfaced that Platner exchanged explicit messages with several women during the early years of his marriage. Platner also came under fire for a tattoo depicting a Nazi-linked Totenkopf symbol, though he later covered it up.
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