Gov. Janet Mills (D-ME) is reminding Maine voters she remains on the ballot as pressure mounts for Democratic front-runner Graham Platner to drop out as each successive scandal jeopardizes Democrats’ chances of flipping a crucial Senate race. Mills, who suspended her campaign in April, is flirting with the idea of stepping back into the race ahead of Tuesday’s primary. A source close to Mills’s campaign said on Friday that “people across Maine are reaching out to tell her they’re voting for her and encouraging her to get fully back into the race,” according to reports.
Platner, a progressive oyster farmer who boxed Mills out of the race after establishing healthy leads in fundraising and polling, has faced a slew of controversies ranging from having a Nazi tattoo to sending explicit messages to other women while married.
The latest scandal, reported by the New York Times, details allegations from former girlfriends, who described Platner’s behavior in the relationships as “toxic” and “emotionally wrenching.”
The news, which broke the same week Platner barnstormed Washington, D.C., to meet with senators in an attempt to assuage concerns over his character, has roiled the Democratic Party as it stares down a must-win race against Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME).
