Graham Platner prevailed in the Maine Democratic Senate primary, breaking 50% of the vote and clinching the nomination to face Sen. Susan Collins, a Republican who national Democrats hope to topple on their way to recapturing control of the Senate in November.
Platner had 75 percent of the votes with only 8 percent of the ballots counted when the Associated Press called the race on Tuesday evening, suggesting a dominant performance. Maine Gov. Janet Mills, had just 19 percent. Mills’ name remained remained on the ballot despite the fact she dropped out of the contest in April.
The oysterman and political newcomer triumphed at the ballot box despite allegations that roiled his campaign before Election Day: that he sexted women outside of his marriage and that he behaved in a demeaning way to some former girlfriends, including two incidents in which he was allegedly physically menacing to one of them. Platner denied those incidents.
The Democrat will now face Collins, a five-term incumbent who ran unopposed in the GOP Senate primary.
In coming in first — and avoiding further rounds of counting as part of Maine’s ranked choice voting system — Platner technically defeated Mills in the Democratic primary. Mills was recruited by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., but her campaign never took off and she suspended it in April.
But her name remained on the ballot, and voters could have to chosen to side with their former governor as something of a protest vote against Platner.
Despite early strength, Platner’s road to nomination was paved with controversy.
Reports surfaced the week before the primary that Platner had sent sexually explicit text messages to multiple women while married. His wife, Amy Gertner, publicly defended him and criticized the release of private communications. Platner acknowledged he and his wife had gone through something difficult in their marriage “because of me” and denied the characterization of the messages.
A private meeting between Platner and Senate Democrats followed as questions mounted over whether his personal conduct would impede his ability to challenge Collins. Despite the controversies, key progressive leaders, including Sens. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., have continued to publicly support his candidacy.