Democrat Graham Platner will try to unseat GOP Sen. Susan Collins in a critical Senate matchup [View all]
Source: Associated Press
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) Graham Platner won the Maine Democratic primary for U.S. Senate on Tuesday, channeling voter frustration over the high cost of living and overcoming revelations about his past to set up a high-stakes race against Republican Sen. Susan Collins.
Speaking to supporters in the small town where he was born, Platner, an oyster farmer and combat veteran, stressed a message of redemption as he promised to oust Collins. Democrats see the race as a top opportunity to flip a GOP-held seat and a must-win as the party tries to claim control of the Senate in November.
Platners expected win in the primary came after days of questions about his past personal conduct, particularly his relationships with women, that threatened to undermine enthusiasm on the left over his candidacy.
If you believe, as I do, that we can change our politics and change our country, then you must also believe that people can change, Platner said during his acceptance speech in Blue Hill, a rural town where he was born, as the crowd cheered on. And the reason I believe that is because I have lived it.
Read more: https://apnews.com/article/maine-senate-election-susan-collins-graham-platner-202ba010d7281db0dcd840d6c3ca0020