As voters in four states cast their votes in primaries for the 2026 midterm elections, the Maine Democrat’s private life has made headlines in a key Senate race.
Maine Senate candidate says he’s not a Nazi amid tattoo controversy
Graham Platner has publicly stated that he is not a Nazi after controversy over his tattoo of a skull and crossbones on his chest.
Unbranded – Newsworthy
- Maine Democrat Graham Platner won the primary despite recent scandals involving his personal life.
- South Carolina Congresswoman Nancy Mace did poorly in the state’s Republican gubernatorial primary.
- South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham won the Republican primary, avoiding a runoff.
On June 9, Americans across the country were treated to a busy primary election, with the main event being a personality test of Maine Democrat Graham Platner.
The 41-year-old political newcomer’s populist campaign has shocked the Democratic establishment, but has hit a snag after embarrassing revelations about his private life came to light. Still, Mr. Platner is on his way to victory and will face Republican Sen. Susan Collins in a key race for control of the Senate.
The Maine Democratic Party also held an important House election in November, with votes to determine the successor to U.S. Rep. Jared Golden in a Republican-leaning district that will be a battleground district. In South Carolina, Rep. Nancy Mace’s bid for governor failed in a test of whether a Republican who doesn’t necessarily align with President Donald Trump has a future in Republican politics.
There was also a significant primary campaign in the Palmetto State, led by Sen. Lindsey Graham, who fended off a challenge from anti-war conservatives.
Here are the key takeaways from Tuesday’s election.
Platner avoids large-scale protest vote amid scandal
Mr. Platner’s victory in the primary against Gov. Janet Mills, who suspended her campaign in April, was widely expected, even though Mr. Platner’s personal life was the focus of the final days of the primary campaign.
For example, ahead of the election, a University of New Hampshire Research Center poll released in May showed the progressive first-time candidate with a 66 percentage point lead. The investigation came before a New York Times article in which several ex-girlfriends described their past relationships with him as “unsettling” and “toxic.”
“If you believe in the politics of change, you have to believe in people’s ability to change,” Platner said in a June 9 sit-down conversation with Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), a key supporter in Congress.
The NDP is holding its breath for signs that a large-scale protest vote could further escalate tensions.
With 48% of votes counted, Mr. Platner, an oyster farmer and former Marine, won 72% to Mr. Mills’ 20%.
Mr. Plattner has denied allegations by a conservative activist he was dating that he grabbed her wrist and twisted her arm, but other controversies dogged him during the campaign, including sending sexually explicit text messages to a woman while they were married. He also continues to face intense scrutiny over the tattoo, which he repeatedly denied knowingly resembled a Nazi symbol before covering it up last year.
“The allegations against Graham Platner are very disturbing and serious, and he owes the people of Maine detailed answers,” Collins told reporters on June 9. “I have not heard of any such thing.”
Which liberals will Democrats nominate in key House races?
The fight for control of Congress this year could involve several seats, including Maine’s 2nd Congressional District, where moderate Democratic Rep. Jared Golden is retiring.
For this reason, much attention was focused on the high-stakes primary race in which all four Democratic candidates ran to Golden’s left in a rural district that voted for Trump three times.
Early results show state Sen. Joe Baldacci. State Auditor Matthew Dunlap; With about 31% of votes counted, former Congressional staffer Jordan Wood was within four points of winning.
Social worker Paige Loud came last with about 10% of the total votes cast.
But this will be a close race because of Maine’s ranked-choice voting system in rural districts. The Cook Political Report rates a “high chance” of a Republican flip this fall.
The winner will face former Gov. Paul LePage, an ardent conservative who ran unopposed in the Republican primary.
Mace finishes underground in South Carolina gubernatorial primary
South Carolina Rep. Nancy Mace’s gubernatorial bid fell far short of the top ranks of the Republican Party, even as outspoken conservatives tried to stay close to the president.
With about half of the votes counted, she only received about 11% of the vote, far behind Trump-backed Lt. Governor Pam Evette and State Attorney General Alan Wilson. These two candidates will face a runoff election on June 23rd.
Mace once referred to himself as “Trump in heels” and was at one point rumored to be the 2024 vice presidential pick.
But she and the president have had an on-and-off friendship over the years, most notably because she was one of four House Republicans, along with Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Lauren Boebert of Colorado, and Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, to vote to force the U.S. Department of Justice to release files on convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Greene resigned from the House after becoming an outcast among Trump allies, and Massey lost the recent Kentucky primary to a Trump-backed opponent.
“As a survivor, I have chosen to stand on principle and oppose Epstein’s cover-up,” Mace said in her concession speech. “I chose to expose a child abuser, but clearly I made the wrong choice if my goal was to win an election. I am at peace with that.”
During that speech, Mace specifically supported Wilson, saying he would “mop the floor” with Evette.
Lindsey Graham fights off challenger
Sen. Lindsey Graham led his five main opponents by a wide margin, but faced a real possibility of being forced into a runoff on June 23, with multiple polls showing him barely above or below the required 50% threshold. The veteran lawmaker escaped that fate, winning about 59% of the vote at a time when most media outlets reported the race was in his favor.
The four-term congressman’s support for the U.S.-Israel war against Iran has infuriated some in the “Make America Great Again” movement and galvanized the largely self-funded campaign of leading challenger Mark Lynch.
“Endless wars and endless spending are Lindsay’s legacy. Never forget that,” Lynch said in a post on X on Monday, June 8, which included a photo of Graham shaking hands with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
Mr. Lynch also tried to cast Mr. Graham as disloyal to the president in campaign ads, but thanks to Mr. Trump’s support and the roughly $18 million the senator and his allies poured into his campaign, he was able to clear the South Carolina election hurdle.
Becerra, Hilton expands to California
California’s gubernatorial election was held on June 2nd, but it took a week for the results to be determined. Democrat Xavier Becerra and Republican Steve Hilton are expected to advance to the general election.
Both parties avoided fear of being shut out as early polls showed two Republican candidates at the top of the state’s nonpartisan “jungle” primary system, and more recent polls showed billionaire Tom Steyer (D) could overtake Hilton.
Becerra, a former Biden administration cabinet member, received nearly 28% of the vote, followed by former Fox News host Hilton with nearly 25%, according to the Associated Press.
Steyer was third with 22.6%, followed by Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco (R) with 10.2%.
Both Mr. Becerra and Mr. Hilton are seeking to succeed current Gov. Gavin Newsom, who is rumored to be a 2028 presidential candidate and will retire at the end of his eight-year term in January.
Contributors: Margie Cullen, Terry Collins
