Bitter Maine Democratic Senate Primary Escalates as Mills Ad Targets Platner’s Past Comments on Sexual Assault
In the increasingly bitter Democratic primary to challenge Sen. Susan Collins, Mills’s campaign released an ad in which women read Graham Platner’s old social-media posts — including a Reddit comment saying people shouldn’t get so drunk “they wind up having sex with someone they don’t mean to” — and framed the remarks as minimizing sexual assault, circulating a statement from several Maine women, including former state party vice chair Peggy Schaffer, calling the comments disqualifying. Platner’s team called the spot a “desperate” attack by D.C. insiders and ran a counterad featuring a Maine woman named Susan Collins praising Platner, while Mills also mocked Platner over a skull-and-crossbones tattoo he later covered after learning of its Nazi association.
📌 Key Facts
- Mills’ campaign released a new ad in which women read Graham Platner’s old social-media posts, including a Reddit comment about people not getting so drunk 'they wind up having sex with someone they don’t mean to,' framing him as 'a bully' and 'worse' the more voters learn.
- Mills’ campaign and allied Maine women circulated a statement, including from former state party vice chair Peggy Schaffer, calling Platner’s past remarks 'minimizing sexual assault and blaming survivors,' labeling them 'disqualifying' and saying they make him 'unelectable in any general election.'
- Platner’s campaign manager, Ben Chin, dismissed the Mills ad as a 'desperate attempt for relevance' by 'D.C. insiders' threatened by a grassroots campaign.
- Platner responded with his own ad featuring a Maine woman named Susan Collins (not the senator), who calls the Republican incumbent a 'D.C. insider' and praises Platner as 'a Democrat with backbone.'
- Earlier in the campaign, Mills publicly jabs at Platner by noting she has no tattoos — a dig tied to controversy over Platner’s skull-and-crossbones tattoo, which he later covered after learning of its Nazi association.
📊 Relevant Data
In 2023, an estimated 29,000 active-duty service members experienced some form of sexual assault, with a prevalence rate of 6.8% for women and 1.6% for men in the U.S. military.
Sexual Assault In The Military Statistics — WifiTalents
Approximately half of all sexual assault victims in the U.S. report drinking alcohol at the time of the assault, with estimates ranging from 30% to 79%.
Drinking, college sexual assault, and cultural resistance to change — Ed Latimore
Post-9/11 U.S. veterans have a 29% lifetime prevalence rate of PTSD, with 17.8% of veterans reporting serious psychological distress and 13% experiencing major depressive disorder.
Mental Health Veterans Statistics: Market Data Report 2026 — Gitnux
In the U.S., 23.4% of Black women have been raped in their lifetime compared to 15.4% of White women, indicating higher victimization rates among Black women.
Nationally, Democrats hold a substantial edge among younger voters (ages 18-29), with 66% identifying or leaning Democratic compared to 31% Republican, while Republicans have an advantage among voters aged 65 and older.
Age, generation and party identification of registered voters — Pew Research Center
📰 Source Timeline (2)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- Mills’ campaign released a new ad in which women read Graham Platner’s old social-media posts, including a Reddit comment saying people shouldn’t get so drunk 'they wind up having sex with someone they don’t mean to,' framing him as 'a bully' and 'worse' the more voters learn.
- Mills’ camp explicitly characterizes Platner’s past remarks as 'minimizing sexual assault and blaming survivors' and circulates a statement from several Maine women, including former state party vice chair Peggy Schaffer, who calls the comments 'disqualifying' and says they make him 'unelectable in any general election.'
- Platner’s campaign manager Ben Chin dismisses the spot as a 'desperate attempt for relevance' by 'D.C. insiders' threatened by a grassroots campaign, and Platner responds with his own ad featuring a Maine woman named Susan Collins (unrelated to the senator) calling the Republican incumbent a 'D.C. insider' and praising Platner as a 'Democrat with backbone.'
- Mills earlier jabbed Platner on social media by noting that, 'for what it’s worth,' she has no tattoos, a dig at controversy over Platner’s skull-and-crossbones tattoo he later covered after learning of its Nazi association.