Graham Platner
Senate hopeful Haley Stevens knows how to win in Michigan. Democrats must decide if that’s enough
SOUTH HAVEN, Mich. | U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens is spending the closing weeks of Michigan’s Democratic Senate primary making a simple case: she’s the candidate who wins. Stevens flipped a Republican-held House seat in suburban Detroit in 2018 and hasn’t lost since, including surviving a bruising primary against a fellow Democratic incumbent after redistricting in […]
Who will replace Platner on the Maine ballot? These Democrats are raising their hands
PORTLAND, Maine | Democrats in Maine began jockeying Thursday to become the new candidate for a pivotal U.S. Senate seat after progressive nominee Graham Platner announced he will withdraw from the race after a sexual assault allegation. Democrats need to pick a candidate to replace Platner on the ballot by July 27, according to state […]
Maine Democrats plan convention to replace Platner: What to know about Senate race
SCARBOROUGH, Maine | The Maine Democratic Party on Wednesday voted to hold a convention now that Democratic Graham Platner has announced he’ll drop out of the state’s U.S. Senate race after a former girlfriend accused him of sexual assault. Platner, who denies the allegation, faced considerable pressure from his own party to quit the race. […]
Platner may be finished, but voters’ hunger for change and willingness to take risks will remain
DENVER | With Graham Platner’s campaign teetering from an allegation of sexual assault, there’s no shortage of people arguing that the 41-year-old Maine oysterman and progressive political neophyte was always too risky for a key Senate race. However, it’s likely more candidates will follow his path in the future. That’s because Platner’s starburst candidacy followed […]
Democrats’ narrow path to Senate majority gets rockier as Platner faces sexual assault allegation
A new accusation that Graham Platner once sexually assaulted a woman he was dating has rocked the U.S. Senate race in Maine and cast fresh doubt on Democrats’ path to a Senate majority. Republicans currently have a 53-47 advantage in the Senate, and Maine is viewed as a necessary win for Democrats to gain the […]
Democrats begin pulling Platner endorsements after Maine candidate faces sexual assault allegation
A woman who previously dated Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner said he drunkenly forced her to have sex after she told him to stop, according to a Politico report released Monday, leading prominent supporters to pull their endorsements and throwing a must-win race for the party into turmoil. Platner denied the allegation, but said […]
Trump accuses Democrats of hypocrisy on Platner, despite questions about his own conduct
WASHINGTON | President Donald Trump laced into Graham Platner on Wednesday, calling the Senate candidate from Maine a “thug” and a “pig” and suggesting that the Democratic Party was hypocritical for lining up behind someone with so many questions about his past personal conduct and treatment of women. That line of political attack was striking […]
Defying Trump ended some Republicans’ careers. It could help Susan Collins win reelection in Maine
PORTLAND, Maine | This election year is déjà vu for Sen. Susan Collins — the Maine Republican is running for reelection as Democrats pin their hopes on a new candidate to defeat her. Last time, it was state lawmaker Sara Gideon. This time, it’s combat veteran and oyster farmer Graham Platner. But Collins has proven […]
Tuesday’s takeaways: Platner’s big night, Clyburn carries on and Trump’s support gets mixed results
WASHINGTON | Nevada, South Carolina and North Dakota hosted primary elections Tuesday, but much of the political world was focused on Maine’s high-stakes U.S. Senate contest. The results were never in question. Neither Republican incumbent Sen. Susan Collins nor Democratic challenger Graham Platner faced serious opposition for their party’s nomination. And yet Tuesday marked an […]
Graham Platner gets a lift from friendly Maine crowd after week of damage control in Senate campaign
PORTLAND, Maine | Graham Platner was met by an enthusiastic and supportive crowd Sunday at a town hall-style event in Maine as the Democrat looks to advance his Senate campaign after reports about his past treatment of women just days before the state’s crucial primary. The Democratic primary is still seen as Platner’s to win, […]