Embattled Maine Senate candidate loses new campaign manager
Progressive Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner is facing turmoil within his campaign as his new campaign manager, Kevin Brown, resigned after less than a week due to family reasons. Brown, who has previously worked on campaigns for Senator Elizabeth Warren and former President barack Obama, stepped down to prepare for the arrival of a newborn, leaving Platner in need of new leadership. Platner’s campaign has been beset by controversies, including his past inflammatory social media posts and the revelation of an old tattoo allegedly linked to Nazism, which he has apologized for and covered up. Despite these issues, Platner, an oyster farmer and Marine veteran, gained early national attention and endorsements from progressive figures like Senator Bernie Sanders and activist David hogg. He is currently competing against establishment-backed Governor Janet Mills in the Democratic primary for the 2026 Senate race to challenge Republican Senator Susan Collins. Polls show mixed results, with one survey giving Platner a meaningful lead before his controversies surfaced, while a later poll showed Mills ahead following the public revelations.
Embattled Maine Senate candidate loses campaign manager after less than week in role
The new campaign manager for progressive Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner is stepping down after less than a week in the role.
Kevin Brown, who began the role last week, is the latest staffer to leave the Platner campaign, which became riddled with controversy after the resignation of its political director, Genevieve McDonald.
Platner, an oyster farmer and Marine veteran, gained an early national platform for his campaign after garnering excitement from voters who resonated with his political-outsider, working-class message and notching endorsements from Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and liberal activist David Hogg. However, several controversies plaguing Platner’s campaign have taken over media headlines, with the candidate grappling with inflammatory social media posts he made in the past and an old tattoo with alleged ties to Nazism he had on his chest.
After Platner apologized for his Reddit posts and the tattoo, which he covered up, the campaign took steps to rebuild itself. It hired Brown, brought in a compliance firm for consultancy, and instituted retroactive nondisclosure agreements.
Brown, a longtime friend of Platner who also worked for Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and former President Barack Obama’s campaigns, is resigning because his family is expecting a newborn, he told the Washington Examiner in a statement.
“Graham is a dear friend. I started this campaign Tuesday but found out Friday we have a baby on the way. Graham deserves someone who is 100% in on his race, and we want to lean into this new experience as a family, so it was best we step back sooner than later so Graham can get the manager he deserves,” Brown said.
Platner is facing off against establishment-favored Gov. Janet Mills (D-ME) in the Democratic primary race to see who will take on Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) in the 2026 Senate election. While Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has been vocal about his support for Mills, Sanders has stood by Platner through the controversies, telling reporters last week he is an “excellent candidate.”
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Initial polling in the race between Platner and Mills has given the oyster farmer reason to remain optimistic. A University of New Hampshire poll released Thursday showed Platner with a 34-point lead over Mills, with Platner getting 58% of about 1,000 likely voters, compared to Mills’s 24%. UNH conducted the survey between Oct. 16 and Oct. 21, while Platner’s Reddit posts were surfacing, but largely before his tattoo made headlines.
However, a SoCal Strategies survey conducted Oct. 21 through Oct. 25 of 500 Mainers showed Mills in the lead by 5 points, with 41%, while Platner trailed with 36%. The poll also showed support for Platner dropping further after respondents were informed of his tattoo.
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