# Are there any reasons to reject Graham Platner in Maine (campaign suspended July 8, 2026) **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [March 4, 2026, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-reasons-to-reject-graham-platner-in-maine-campaign-suspended-july-8-2026/1028179 "2026-03-04T03:50:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 38
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2026, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-reasons-to-reject-graham-platner-in-maine-campaign-suspended-july-8-2026/1028179/743 "2026-06-05T15:02:19Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > And if he got it not knowing what it was, and then found out it was an obscure Nazi symbol, but _also_ was a symbol of his bond with the guys he went to get tattoos with, i can see keeping it. Especially since none of his friends or family knew it had a darker meaning. > > I feel like none of these stories are disqualifying by themselves. I’m more concerned by the racist and sexist comments he made. Yeah, I feel exactly the same. None of this feels good at all. The guy is a douche. The one saving grace is that he’s not Susan Collins and could beat her. But the more shit that comes out about him, the less possible that seems. And the more I know about him, the more it seems like Platner is likely to be a “fierce independent centrist” like Fetterman or Manchin. Honestly I would give the odds better than 50/50 that within a year Platner would be giving his “I didn’t leave the Democrats, they left me” speech. I’m sorry Maine couldn’t do any better than this, and I’m glad I don’t live there. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2026, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-reasons-to-reject-graham-platner-in-maine-campaign-suspended-july-8-2026/1028179/744 "2026-06-05T15:03:18Z")
> [@Babale](#): > > But as noted by @puzzlegal, at that point his primary concern was comradery with his Totenkopf Bros. I’m sympathetic. I care more about my grandmother than about the hundreds of little swastikas on the tablecloth she made, that i inherited. (She made it as a child, before there was a Nazi party. At the time, it was a generic good luck symbol that was easy to embroider.) Since it’s swastikas, and that’s not at all obscure, i basically can’t use the thing in public. But i keep it with my table linens, and sometimes take it out and think of my grandmother. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2026, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-reasons-to-reject-graham-platner-in-maine-campaign-suspended-july-8-2026/1028179/745 "2026-06-05T15:04:53Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > Fifield further recalled that Platner would sharpen an axe while watching TV, Quoted by, not written by, Jackmannii. I don’t know about all the rest of this, some of which does indeed look skeezy. (Whether it’s skeezier than what a Republican majority senate is likely to allow is another question. Right now I’m just as glad I can’t vote in Maine elections.) But I’m not in the least impressed by this horror about sharpening an axe. If you use an axe (and lots of people, including me and half my friends and more than half my neighbors, have entirely legitimate reasons to use an axe), then you need to sharpen it. If you use an axe and also watch TV, why the hell not sharpen the thing while watching TV? People do lots of other stuff while watching TV. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2026, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-reasons-to-reject-graham-platner-in-maine-campaign-suspended-july-8-2026/1028179/746 "2026-06-05T15:08:37Z")
It’s clear that there’s a dirt machine trying to dig up anything they can on the guy, and hoping some of it sticks. I agree that it’s not even a little weird to sharpen an axe while watching TV. I’ve never done it, because i almost never use an axe, and don’t watch TV that often, either. But I’ve sharpened large kitchen knives while watching random unrelated YouTube videos. Still, I’d vote for the other candidate on the Democratic ballot, if i voted in Maine. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2026, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-reasons-to-reject-graham-platner-in-maine-campaign-suspended-july-8-2026/1028179/747 "2026-06-05T15:24:23Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > It’s clear that there’s a dirt machine trying to dig up anything they can on the guy, and hoping some of it sticks. It’s such an irresponsible thing to do - they’re going to make the public think that _everyone_ with a Nazi tattoo is a scumbag! /s ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2026, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-reasons-to-reject-graham-platner-in-maine-campaign-suspended-july-8-2026/1028179/748 "2026-06-05T15:26:28Z")
> [@thorny\_locust](#): > > But I’m not in the least impressed by this horror about sharpening an axe. If you use an axe (and lots of people, including me and half my friends and more than half my neighbors, have entirely legitimate reasons to use an axe), then you need to sharpen it. If you use an axe and also watch TV, why the hell not sharpen the thing while watching TV? People do lots of other stuff while watching TV. Context helps, I suppose. If you live in rural Maine, it’s perfectly normal. If you live in an urban apartment block - not so much. ---
**Author:** ![DeadTreasSecretaries](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/deadtreassecretaries/32/4817_2.png) [@DeadTreasSecretaries](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeadTreasSecretaries)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2026, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-reasons-to-reject-graham-platner-in-maine-campaign-suspended-july-8-2026/1028179/749 "2026-06-05T15:29:04Z")
Of course there’s a dirt machine - this is one of the most consequential elections of 2026. In September and October it’s going to be nothing but dirt. Hopefully Platner’s “I’m a blue collar guy and im not super polished” schtick lasts that long and against a real candidate who’s handled many election cycles competently. It’s a hell of a bet. Unfortunately we’re less than a week from the democratic primary and Platners competition is terrible, so we’re not going to find out if the latest with the sexting and allegations of toxic behavior will sink him until his competition is a republican. It wouldve been nice if the dirt machine was firing earlier and there was any primary competition. A Cal Cunningham situation where the dirt comes out after the primaries are well over is the worst thing that can happen. Right now i suppose a drastic reversal either by primary voters turning on him en nasse or Platner dropping abd/or party leadership pressuring him out of the race is conceivable, but also a much worse outcome than all of the dirt coming out well in advance. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2026, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-reasons-to-reject-graham-platner-in-maine-campaign-suspended-july-8-2026/1028179/750 "2026-06-05T15:30:32Z")
> [@DeadTreasSecretaries](#): > > It wouldve been nice if the dirt machine was firing earlier and there was any primary competition. A Cal Cunningham situation where the dirt comes out after the primaries are well over is the worst thing that can happen. Right now i suppose a drastic reversal either by primary voters turning on him en nasse or Platner dropping abd/or party leadership pressuring him out of the race is conceivable, but also a much worse outcome than all of the dirt coming out well in advance. Yeah, at this point, a replacement would be dealing with the same issues Kamala had due to her greatly shortened campaign. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2026, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-reasons-to-reject-graham-platner-in-maine-campaign-suspended-july-8-2026/1028179/751 "2026-06-05T15:35:11Z")
Today I learned: If your a teenage WWII buff that means you have committed to memory every German insignia and not just have been fascinated by Patton, Guderian and Eastern Front tank battles. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2026, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-reasons-to-reject-graham-platner-in-maine-campaign-suspended-july-8-2026/1028179/752 "2026-06-05T15:36:24Z")
> **[Maine Senate Election Winner](https://polymarket.com/event/maine-senate-election-winner#xcSKn0GM)** > > $426,190 has traded on "Maine Senate Election Winner" as of June 5, 2026. View real-time odds or trade on The World's Largest Prediction Market™ Eh, i was hoping for an image. Platner is tanking. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2026, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-reasons-to-reject-graham-platner-in-maine-campaign-suspended-july-8-2026/1028179/753 "2026-06-05T15:36:32Z")
The “replacement” would be Mills. Who maybe wouldn’t have a great chance against Collins, but it’d be better than Platner would, because even at worst, Mills won’t hurt any other races on the ballot like Platner will. ---
**Author:** ![DeadTreasSecretaries](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/deadtreassecretaries/32/4817_2.png) [@DeadTreasSecretaries](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeadTreasSecretaries)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2026, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-reasons-to-reject-graham-platner-in-maine-campaign-suspended-july-8-2026/1028179/754 "2026-06-05T15:36:38Z")
At least with Harris she was the obvious successor if a primary wasn’t possible and there was no outsider winner who won an upset and then was usurped. If Platner wins handily, his polls nosedive and he drops there is no continuity Harris candidate to name. Unlike Harris, Mills will have literally just lost a primary rather than coming out of an incumbent administration. I don’t know what the solution is other than sticking with Platner and white-knuckling it. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2026, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-reasons-to-reject-graham-platner-in-maine-campaign-suspended-july-8-2026/1028179/755 "2026-06-05T15:37:43Z")
Voting for Mills in the primary. She’s on the ballot. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2026, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-reasons-to-reject-graham-platner-in-maine-campaign-suspended-july-8-2026/1028179/756 "2026-06-05T15:37:45Z")
The solution isn’t to “stick with Platner” because “Mills will have literally just lost a primary”. The solution is to vote for Mills in the primary. ---
**Author:** ![DeadTreasSecretaries](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/deadtreassecretaries/32/4817_2.png) [@DeadTreasSecretaries](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeadTreasSecretaries)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2026, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-reasons-to-reject-graham-platner-in-maine-campaign-suspended-july-8-2026/1028179/757 "2026-06-05T15:40:02Z")
Sure that’s the best option if it can happen. The latest dirt came out after early voting started (no idea how many Mainers vote early) and public opinion might not even shift on the latest reporting by Tuesday. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2026, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-reasons-to-reject-graham-platner-in-maine-campaign-suspended-july-8-2026/1028179/758 "2026-06-05T15:41:27Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > The “replacement” would be Mills. Who maybe wouldn’t have a great chance against Collins, but it’d be better than Platner would, because even at worst, Mills won’t hurt any other races on the ballot like Platner will. Yes, I would be voting Mills in the primary if I lived in Maine. Her campaign would be weaker than if she’d not have suspended her primary, but as you say, at least we wouldn’t be the party that ran The Boy with the Nazi Tattoo. ---
**Author:** ![DeadTreasSecretaries](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/deadtreassecretaries/32/4817_2.png) [@DeadTreasSecretaries](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeadTreasSecretaries)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2026, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-reasons-to-reject-graham-platner-in-maine-campaign-suspended-july-8-2026/1028179/759 "2026-06-05T15:47:57Z")
Mills also should either actively campaign in the next few days or officially endorse someone (did she endorse Platner when she dropped previously - Im not sure). Latest is she announced “Im still on the ballot” which is absurd weaksauce. There is actually an candidate. He has almost no juice but he at least is all rhe way in or out. And nowadays you can go online and drum up some kind of support without any leadtime. It wouldnt be conventional but if she doesn’t shit or get off the pot Platner is just going to win the pri.ary - she has nothing to lose and no reason to play it safe. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2026, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-reasons-to-reject-graham-platner-in-maine-campaign-suspended-july-8-2026/1028179/760 "2026-06-05T15:51:02Z")
> [@crowmanyclouds](#): > > Today I learned: If your a teenage WWII buff that means you have committed to memory every German insignia and not just have been fascinated by Patton, Guderian and Eastern Front tank battles. Yeah. I believe he didn’t know what it was when he got it. I also believe he learned what it was a long time before he got it altered. And the evidence that he danced shirtless, with it on display, at a Jewish wedding, is overwhelming. And i also believe that no one at the wedding was bothered by it. I do wonder about all the people who left his campaign, and what they know about him. From [Platner’s Wikipedia article](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graham_Platner): > In late October and early November 2025, several high-level staffers left Platner’s campaign during a period that coincided with media reporting on his controversial tattoo and old Reddit posts. On October 17, Platner’s political director, [Genevieve McDonald](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genevieve_McDonald), resigned.[[45]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graham_Platner#cite_note-45) Platner offered her $15,000 in severance pay if she signed an [NDA](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-disclosure_agreement), but she refused the offer.[[46]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graham_Platner#cite_note-46) On October 27, Platner’s campaign manager, Kevin Brown, resigned, citing family reasons.[[47]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graham_Platner#cite_note-47) On October 31, Platner’s campaign finance director, Ronald Holmes, resigned.[[48]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graham_Platner#cite_note-48) Also on October 31, Platner filed paperwork with the [Federal Election Commission](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Election_Commission) indicating that Victoria Perrone was no longer his treasurer and Ben Martelo would take her place.[[49]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graham_Platner#cite_note-49) ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2026, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-reasons-to-reject-graham-platner-in-maine-campaign-suspended-july-8-2026/1028179/761 "2026-06-05T16:00:40Z")
> [@DeadTreasSecretaries](#): > > Sure that’s the best option if it can happen. The latest dirt came out after early voting started (no idea how many Mainers vote early) and public opinion might not even shift on the latest reporting by Tuesday. Yep, they waited for it to be damaging before dropping this info. I expect that the most damaging info will drop even later, like in October. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2026, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-reasons-to-reject-graham-platner-in-maine-campaign-suspended-july-8-2026/1028179/762 "2026-06-05T18:40:29Z")
> [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](#): > > There has to be evidence you robbed the banks, not just accusations. Particularly if the main witness may be biased. And, even from the MAGA operative, there is really nothing that makes it a crime. > [@Babale](#): > > It’s amazing how quickly “believe all women” evaporates when it’s politically inconvenient… Believe but confirm. No one thinks that means unqualified acceptance. We have 6 women here, one has no credibility and is a republican operative. Three said great guy and two said > [@Jackmannii](#): > > Jenny Racicot, 41, a Democrat from Maine, who said she dated Platner from 2019 to 2021, told the paper: “When I saw the old comments that he made online, I recognized a version of him that I had experiences with.” > > A third woman, also a Democrat from Maine, who wished to remain anonymous, echoed the accounts of heavy drinking and being unfaithful and said she felt like “collateral damage to the world that is his”. So, heavy drinking and being unfaithful- decades ago, before he was married. Okay, I believe her- and so? Neither of those are reasons to reject a candidate. Especially as the good testimonials show there is no pattern. He cheated on a girlfriend while still a young man- big deal. > [@Gyrate](#): > > All the evidence shows that he was more than aware it was Nazi symbolism. He knew it was a Totenkopf, he told people over the years it was a Totenkopf, and the pictures of it before he had it covered up show it to be a Totenkopf. It is amazing how one anonymous person who claimed that is what Platner said has changed into “he told people”. > **[Graham Platner | Campaign controversies](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graham_Platner#Campaign_controversies)** > > In October 2025, various news outlets reported on Reddit posts Platner made between 2013 and 2021 in which he called himself a "communist", wrote that all cops are bastards, and agreed with a post calling rural white Americans "racist and stupid", and in some posts referenced political violence and armed resistance. In a 2013 Reddit discussion about anti-rape underwear, Platner wrote that people worried about assault should "take some responsibility for themselves and not get so fucked up During ... > CNN and _[Jewish Insider](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_Insider)_ reported claims from a former acquaintance alleging that Platner had previously referred to the tattoo as “my Totenkopf”, which Platner denied Afaik, there is one instance of him showing itand it is blurry. > **[Graham Platner, populist progressive running for Senate in Maine, reveals...](https://www.jta.org/2025/10/21/politics/graham-platner-populist-progressive-running-for-senate-in-maine-reveals-nazi-tattoo-on-his-chest)** > > Platner said he ordered the tattoo as an “inebriated” Marine in 2007. Even wiki has said- > During his 2026 Senate campaign, Platner faced scrutiny over a [skull-and-bones](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skull_and_crossbones) tattoo on his chest that resembled the _[Totenkopf](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Totenkopf#Nazi_Germany)_ symbol used by the [Nazi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazism) [_Schutzstaffel_ (SS)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schutzstaffel). In an interview on _[Pod Save America](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pod_Save_America)_ , Platner said he and other Marines received the tattoo while on [leave](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shore_leave) in [Croatia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Croatia) in 2007 and that he had been unaware of its historical association at the time. He later [covered](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cover-up_tattoo) the tattoo.[[63]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graham_Platner#cite_note-63)[[64]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graham_Platner#cite_note-64)[[65]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graham_Platner#cite_note-65) Note “resembled”. > [@DigitalC](#): > > You realize the FACT that it is a nazi tattoo is not in dispute by anyone including Platner right? Yeah, altho there were other military groups with the same symbol, the SS is by far the most common. > [@Babale](#): > > While it’s true that Platner himself does admit that it was a Nazi tattoo, After it was pointed out to him. But the Marines he was with did use a skull and crossbones motif- just more like Pirate than SS. > [@Thing.Fish](#): > > How come none of these pictures showing it to be a totenkopf have ever been made public? One or two blurry photos from a party- Jewish wedding?- he was at- where there were a good number of Jewish people, and from what we know, no one remarked on it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-reasons-to-reject-graham-platner-in-maine-campaign-suspended-july-8-2026/1028179.md?page=37) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-reasons-to-reject-graham-platner-in-maine-campaign-suspended-july-8-2026/1028179.md?page=39)