Democrats in Maine have anointed a new standard-bearer for their 2026 Senate hopes in Graham Platner, a first-time candidate who has surged into the spotlight as a would-be opponent to long-serving Republican Susan Collins. What should have been a standard vetting process instead turned into chaos when troubling online posts and images from Platner’s past exploded into public view, throwing the race into disarray and forcing Mainers to ask basic questions about character and judgment.
The dirt that surfaced isn’t small — archived Reddit posts show Platner making dismissive and inflammatory comments about sexual assault in the military, law enforcement, and rural Americans, comments he now blames on years of untreated trauma after multiple deployments. His camp insists he’s changed, apologizing and pointing to PTSD and a troubled period after Afghanistan, but veterans and voters deserve more than a therapeutic explanation when someone seeks the power to write laws.
Then came the tattoo scandal: footage and photos revealed a skull-and-crossbones design on Platner’s chest resembling the Totenkopf, a symbol associated with the Nazi SS, which he says he got while drinking with fellow Marines in Croatia in 2007. Platner has since covered the image and said he was unaware of its connotations, but the episode only amplifies the impression of a campaign that was not properly vetted and raises legitimate concerns about his fitness to represent Mainers.
As the headlines mounted, the campaign itself buckled — a newly hired campaign manager resigned after only days on the job and other staff departures and public breakups have followed, signaling instability that would doom any serious statewide bid. Democrats should be alarmed that political operatives had to walk away rather than be associated with a candidate who repeatedly invited controversy instead of confronting it head-on.
Worse for the left, prominent progressives like Bernie Sanders have rallied to Platner’s defense, turning what ought to be a disqualifier into a rallying cry about establishment politics and “working-class” authenticity. That willingness to excuse past behavior and radical rhetoric demonstrates the priorities of the national Democratic machine — electable candidates be damned if they threaten the ideological pipeline.
Mainers and patriotic Americans should see this circus for what it is: a warning about what happens when parties prioritize ideology and raw enthusiasm over judgment and accountability. Susan Collins may be a target for conservatives’ disagreement on policy, but the real question in this race is whether Democrats will nominate someone whose past raises honest doubts about loyalty to American values and respect for victims. Voters of both parties owe it to the country to demand real answers, thorough vetting, and candidates who stand for decency and responsibility.
