{"id":2588029,"date":"2026-04-07T12:03:02","date_gmt":"2026-04-07T16:03:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/platner-leads-maine-democratic-primary-amid-attacks-from-mills-campaign\/"},"modified":"2026-04-07T12:05:58","modified_gmt":"2026-04-07T16:05:58","slug":"platner-leads-maine-democratic-primary-amid-attacks-from-mills-campaign","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/platner-leads-maine-democratic-primary-amid-attacks-from-mills-campaign\/","title":{"rendered":"Platner leads Maine Democratic primary amid attacks from Mills campaign"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fplatner-leads-maine-democratic-primary-amid-attacks-from-mills-campaign%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2588029&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Graham Platner, a Maine Democratic Senate candidate and oyster farmer, is signaling a pivot from the primary toward a general-election bid against incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins as polling tightens. With the June primary approaching, Platner appears to hold a commanding lead over gov. Janet Mills in recent surveys, and his campaign has begun airing ads aimed at Collins and shifting to general-election messaging even as the primary lingers.<\/p>\n<p>Tensions in the Democratic primary have intensified. Platner and his allies have criticized Mills for missing a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ramaswamy-pushes-petition-for-mcdaniels-ouster-as-rnc-chairwoman\/\" title=\"Ramaswamy pushes petition for McDaniel&#039;s ouster as RNC chairwoman\">recent primary debate<\/a>, while Mills has pushed back, saying scheduling conflicts forced her absence and that she has commitments to multiple forums. The race has featured negative attacks, including ads highlighting past remarks by Platner. An Emerson College poll cited Platner leading Mills 55% to 28% among likely Democratic primary voters, reinforcing Platner\u2019s hold in the intraparty contest as both candidates maneuver for the general election.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Platner eyes general election pivot as support for Mills shrinks in polls&nbsp;<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2488263\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/maine\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"193\">Maine<\/a> Democratic Senate primary candidate Graham Platner is increasingly signaling a shift toward the general election, buoyed by strong polling as the state&rsquo;s June <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/primary\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"2520\">primary<\/a> approaches.<\/p>\n<p>Platner&rsquo;s campaign is touting its strong polling and beginning to look past the primary toward a potential matchup with incumbent Sen. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/susan-collins\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"1302\">Susan Collins<\/a> (R-ME).<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Another day, another poll with Graham up big in the primary,&rdquo; campaign manager Ben Chin wrote <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.axios.com\/2026\/04\/06\/maine-senate-primary-democrats-mills-platner\">in a memo<\/a> obtained by <em>Axios<\/em>, &ldquo;While we aren&rsquo;t taking our foot [off] the gas in the primary, we&rsquo;re shifting gears and going <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-lifts-economic-sanctions-on-iran-hoping-they-will-stop-enriching-uranium\/\" title=\"Biden lifts economic sanctions on Iran hoping they will stop enriching uranium\">full steam ahead<\/a> into the general.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >posture reflects growing confidence inside<\/a> the campaign that Platner has built a commanding lead in a Democratic primary that has grown increasingly contentious in recent weeks.<\/p>\n<p>Platner has already been airing ads targeting Collins, the longtime Republican incumbent.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Behind every disgraceful nominee is a Susan Collins confirmation vote. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/K14ySZBFWA\">pic.twitter.com\/K14ySZBFWA<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Graham Platner for Senate (@grahamformaine) <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/grahamformaine\/status\/2041236670503084447?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">April 6, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script> <\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>At the same time, tensions between Platner&rsquo;s primary challenger and longtime politician, Gov. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/janet-mills\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"11127\">Janet Mills<\/a> (D-ME), have escalated. Platner and his allies have criticized Mills over her absence from a recent primary debate, suggesting she &ldquo;pulled out&rdquo; of the event.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4494592\/jb-pritzker-fundraising-chop\/\">DOES JB PRITZKER HAVE THE FUNDRAISING CHOPS HE THINKS HE DOES<\/a>?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;ll be there, and whenever the schedule allows, we look forward to having a conversation with the governor about issues Mainers care about,&rdquo; <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/grahamformaine\/status\/2040932149444943907\">Platner wrote on X<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Mills pushed back, saying the decision was due to a scheduling conflict and noting she had already committed to multiple forums.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;In February, I was the first candidate to commit to five primary debates and forums,&rdquo; Mills <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/JanetMillsforME\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/x.com\/JanetMillsforME\">wrote on X<\/a>. &ldquo;I look forward to discussing the issues top of mind for Maine people, my record, and my plans for the U.S. Senate in a way that gives all Maine Democrats a chance to hear directly from me.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The Maine Democratic primary has become one of the cycle&rsquo;s more combative intraparty battles, with a slew of recent negative attacks.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>In recent weeks, the Mills campaign has gone on the offensive, releasing ads highlighting <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4494578\/janet-mills-graham-platner-rape-victim-comment-attack-ad\/\">past sexist comments<\/a> Platner made online more than a decade ago.<\/p>\n<p>Despite the attacks, Platner has maintained a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-needles-desantis-with-iowa-state-fair-entourage\/\" title=\"Trump taunts DeSantis at Iowa State Fair.\">sizable polling advantage<\/a>. A recent Emerson College <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/emersoncollegepolling.com\/maine-2026-poll-platner-leads-gov-mills-democrats-lead-sen-collins-in-maine\/\">poll<\/a> found the oyster farmer leading the governor 55% to 28% among likely Democratic primary voters.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Platner pivots to general election as Mills&#8217; lead slips<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4195,"featured_media":2588030,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/AP26076552010540.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[32807,9148,77330,65502],"class_list":["post-2588029","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-democratic-primary","tag-maine","tag-mills-campaign","tag-platner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/AP26076552010540.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2588029","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4195"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2588029"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2588029\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2588033,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2588029\/revisions\/2588033"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2588030"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2588029"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2588029"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2588029"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}