SouthernWorldwide.com – Despite facing intense media scrutiny and attacks from Republicans over his controversial past online comments and a tattoo that resembled a Nazi symbol, Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner of Maine is maintaining a significant lead over incumbent Republican Senator Susan Collins.
A new public opinion poll reveals that Platner holds a nine-point advantage over Collins. This race is considered one of a few key contests that will likely determine whether the Republican Party can retain its narrow 53-47 majority in the Senate following the upcoming midterm elections.
Platner, a progressive candidate endorsed by Senator Bernie Sanders, currently garners 51% support among likely voters in Maine. Senator Collins, a long-serving Republican, has 42% support. The poll, conducted by the University of New Hampshire, also indicates that 6% of respondents are undecided, with another 2% favoring other candidates.
This latest survey aligns with previous public opinion polls suggesting Platner, an oyster farmer and a veteran of combat tours in Afghanistan and Iraq, is leading Collins, a moderate Republican seeking her sixth term in the Senate representing the largely left-leaning state of Maine.
Digging deeper into the poll results, 91% of surveyed Democrats expressed their intention to vote for Platner in the general election. On the Republican side, 87% of Republicans stated they would back Collins. However, the incumbent senator held a slim 47% to 44% lead among independent voters.
The findings of this poll were released just two weeks before Maine’s primary elections.
Platner is widely considered the presumptive nominee for the Democratic Party. This became more apparent after two-term Democratic Governor Janet Mills, who had received backing from Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and other establishment figures, suspended her campaign approximately a month ago. Governor Mills cited concerns about fundraising and polling as the reasons for withdrawing her bid, though her name will still appear on the primary ballot.
According to the poll data, Platner commands 76% support for the Democratic nomination. Governor Mills, despite suspending her campaign, has 10% support, and a longshot contender, David Costello of Brunswick, who has had a career spanning decades in state and federal government, has 3% support.
Senator Susan Collins, meanwhile, faces no challengers for the Republican Senate nomination, ensuring her uncontested path to the primary win.
PLATNER CONFRONTED OVER PAST ON-LINE CONTROVERSIAL COMMENTS
Platner, who champions an economically populist agenda and focuses on tackling corporate influence while advocating for the working class, has been labeled as too extreme for Maine by Collins and other Republican figures.
Amid a flurry of media reports, Platner has faced significant criticism from Republicans recently regarding past controversial comments made last decade, after his return from combat tours, as well as more recent remarks from earlier this decade posted on Reddit.
Platner issued an apology for his contentious Reddit posts after they gained media attention last fall, shortly after he announced his candidacy for the Senate.
Regarding a tattoo on his chest that resembled a Nazi symbol, Platner has explained that he obtained it in 2007 while socializing with fellow Marines stationed in Croatia. He stated that he covered the tattoo with a new design last year after becoming aware that it bore a resemblance to a Nazi emblem.
The criticism of Platner’s comments and the tattoo is not limited to Republicans. A few Democrats have also voiced their disapproval. For instance, Democratic Representative Jake Auchincloss of Massachusetts recently reiterated his critical stance.
“As I stated months ago, I personally find Platner’s Nazi tattoo and his explanations for it to be disqualifying,” Auchincloss posted on social media earlier this week. “If I were in his position, I would vote for someone else in the Maine Democratic primary.”
The Pine Tree Poll was conducted between May 21st and May 25th. The survey has an overall margin of error of plus or minus 2.6 percentage points.
