Maine progressive Senate hopeful posts $4.7M quarter
Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner raised $4.7 million in the final quarter of the year, his campaign told Axios, signaling continued strength despite controversy over a Nazi‑linked tattoo and past social media posts, while a key pro‑Susan Collins super PAC amassed $5 million in the second half of 2025 and will start 2026 with $10 million in cash. The race has split Democrats between Platner, endorsed by Sen. Bernie Sanders, and Gov. Janet Mills, backed by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, as internal and external polls show widely varying primary leads in a contest seen as critical to Democrats’ Senate pickup hopes.
📌 Key Facts
- Platner’s campaign reports raising $4.7 million in Q4 with more than 182,000 contributions and an average donation of $25.
- Pro‑Collins super PAC Pine Tree Results raised $5 million in the second half of the year and will begin 2026 with $10 million cash on hand, according to a person familiar.
- Internal polling for former candidate Jordan Wood in late October–early November found Platner leading Mills by 9 points in the first round of ranked‑choice voting and expanding his lead in the final round, while other public polls have ranged from Platner down 10 to up 20.
📊 Relevant Data
Graham Platner's tattoo is a skull and crossbones design resembling the Totenkopf symbol, which was used by Nazi SS units during World War II.
Maine Senate candidate apologises for tattoo that resembles Nazi imagery — BBC
Graham Platner's deleted social media posts included criticizing police, stating that white rural Americans 'actually are' racist and stupid, asking why Black people 'don't tip,' using antigay slurs, and making comments about sexual assault.
Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Graham Platner disavows series of deleted social media posts — Maine Public
As of 2023, Maine's population is 90.6% White (Non-Hispanic), with Black or African American residents comprising 1.5%, and the state has a rural population percentage of 61.5%.
Maine — Data USA
Maine's Jewish population is approximately 18,460, representing 1.31% of the state's total population as of 2025.
Jewish Population by State 2025 — World Population Review
In the 2016 Democratic presidential primary, Bernie Sanders won Maine with 64.3% of the vote compared to Hillary Clinton's 35.5%.
Electoral history of Bernie Sanders — Wikipedia