Platner maintains big lead over Mills in Maine senate race, new poll finds

Local News

Platner, a progressive upstart, has a 64% to 26% lead over Maine Gov. Janet Mills in the Democratic Senate primary, according to a new UNH poll.

Graham Platner, the progressive oyster farmer running for Senate in Maine, is maintaining a large lead over Maine Gov. Janet Mills in the Democratic primary, according to new poll results released Tuesday. What’s more, Platner is leading Sen. Susan Collins, the Republican incumbent, in a hypothetical general election matchup. 

About 64% of likely Democratic primary voters would support Platner if the election were held now, compared to just 26% who say the same for Mills, according to a new poll from the University of New Hampshire. 

Platner leads Collins, 49% to 38%, in the general election. On the other hand, a general election battle between Mills and Collins is projected to be a tossup: Mills leads Collins 41% to 40%, the UNH poll found. 

Last fall, Platner’s campaign was rocked by unearthed social media posts and the revelation that he had a chest tattoo of an image that is known to have been used as a Nazi symbol. Platner apologized for the social media remarks, said he did not know about the symbol’s Nazi connotations, and had it covered up.

Around that time, a UNH poll found that Platner had a 58% to 24% over Mills. The controversies do not appear to have eroded his base of support over the past few months. 

Among likely Democratic primary voters, 71% have a favorable opinion of Platner, compared to 51% who say the same about Mills, according to the UNH poll. Platner has a strong base of support among self-described socialists and progressive. He is also winning over moderates: 53% say that they would vote for Platner, compared to 32% who support Mills. The two candidates are evenly split among those who self-identify as liberals. 

Platner is strong with younger people: 84% of likely voters between the ages of 18 and 34 would vote for Platner, with only 11% favoring Mills. The only age group that Mills is winning over are voters 65 and older. Mills, 78, would be the oldest first-term senator elected in U.S. history. 

Platner, a 41-year-old former Marine, launched his campaign last summer as a political novice and a relative unknown. Since then he has captured national attention through the combination of his blue collar persona, a savvy social media strategy, and an unabashed willingness to champion economic populism. 

If Platner does eventually succeed, his victory would mark a turning point in a state that has a long history of electing perceived moderates. 

The UNH poll surveyed 1,162 Maine residents between Feb. 12 and 16.