Troubling ink and a history of questionable comments appeared to be no deterrent to the Trump deranged of Maine as one Democrat candidate maintained a large cushion in the Senate race.
Known as the home of the bestselling author Stephen King, likeminded leftists of the Pine Tree State looked to have an early advantage ahead of the 2026 midterms election. According to recent polling, oyster farmer Graham Platner, previously challenged over an alleged Nazi tattoo, was poised to both pick up his party’s nomination and shift an unreliable RINO vote to a solid blue tally in the upper chamber’s balance.
Conducted from Feb. 12-16, the University of New Hampshire Survey Center Pine Tree State poll showed the veteran with a lead over Maine Gov. Janet Mills (D) by nearly 40 points.
According to the survey, the candidate, who’d referred to the apprehension of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro as a kidnapping, “gangsterism,” and an illegal invasion — while his own state limited law enforcement cooperation with federal immigration authorities — garnered 64% of Democrat support compared to Mills’ 26%.
MAINE POLL By UNH
SENATE
🟦 Graham Platner: 49%
🟥 Susan Collins: 38%
🟨 Other: 4%
—
🟦 Janet Mills: 41%
🟥 Susan Collins: 40%
🟨 Other: 9%
——
DEM SENATE
🟦 Graham Platner: 64%
🟦 Janet Mills: 26%
——
ME-02
🟥 Paul LePage: 48%
🟦 Joe Baldacci: 47%
—
🟥 Paul LePage: 47%
🟦… pic.twitter.com/f7mZMCKyoH— InteractivePolls (@IAPolls2022) February 24, 2026
Likewise, while Mills only leads incumbent Sen. Susan Collins (R) by one point at 41% – 40%, Platner maintained a double digit lead over the RINO lawmaker at 49% to 38%.
A closer look at the demographic breakdown of the polling showed that the candidate who’d earned the endorsement from socialist Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders (I) was favored by 82 points among likeminded leftists in Maine. Those who identified as moderate gave Platner a 21 point advantage.
Similar to the lopsided socialist support, Platner scored big with the youngest voters, tallying a 73 point advantage among those aged 18-34. In fact, the only area where Mills eked out a lead over her primary competitor was with voters 65-years-old and up.
📊 Maine Senate Dem Primary by UNH
🟣 Graham Platner: 64% (+6)
🟠 Janet Mills: 26% (+2)
——
🟣 Dems: Platner +34
🟣 Indies: Platner +65
🟣 Men: Platner +57
🟣 Women: Platner +34
🟣 Ages 18-34: Platner +73
🟣 Ages 35-49: Platner +42
🟣 Ages 50-64: Platner +38
🟠 Ages 65+: Mills +4… https://t.co/oVQbxxo9aA pic.twitter.com/0Ztbik35Hg— InteractivePolls (@IAPolls2022) February 24, 2026
No amount of pandering or baggage appeared capable of diminishing his edge in the race thus far as the polling captured an uptick for the Senate hopeful even after proving himself poorly coached on the what each letter stands for in the alphabet soup of rainbow activists while declaring, “I do love gays.” What’s more, his since-covered and up tattoo and since-deleted past posts, seemingly calling for political violence and downplaying sexual assault, had been willingly memory-holed by voters.
The love from Sanders had also earned him a comparison to the lifelong politician as Politico touted the “meteoric rise” of Platner and how it “reflects a growing frustration with the Democratic establishment and voters’ interest in a new generation of leaders.”
“He is campaigning not just against Collins but against a ‘billionaire class,’ running a campaign in the style of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), who endorsed him,” added the outlet as it also highlighted the discord among Democrats, making note of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s support for Mills, dubbed a “moderate governor” by Politico.
“Platner’s meteoric rise reflects a growing frustration with the Democratic establishment and voters’ interest in a new generation of leaders. He is campaigning not just against Collins but against a “billionaire class,” running a campaign in the style of Sen. Bernie Sanders… pic.twitter.com/Ds8DtYGuWA
— Graham Platner for Senate (@grahamformaine) February 23, 2026
Native of Brooklyn, NY, Kevin Haggerty is a graduate of Hunter College where he studied Cultural Anthropology and Geography. An avid reader and truth seeker, he currently resides in Texas with his wife and their dog and, when he isn't researching current events and their impacts, you'll find him spending time with friends and family or working on his next novel.
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