Four years ago, Democrats were falling over themselves in delight. Republicans in Georgia knowingly nominated Herschel Walker, a political newcomer with mental health issues, accusations of domestic violence and stalking, and a no-exceptions opposition to abortion rights despite his alleged history of partners availing themselves of them.
Well, karma shows no grace.
Maine Democrats on Tuesday nominated their own version of Walker in Graham Platner, an oyster farmer with a thick and messy oppo file that includes Nazi imagery, sexting with women other than his wife, and allegations of domestic abuse. The 41-year-old harbormaster and combat veteran coasted to the nomination against five-term Sen. Susan Collins, age 73, in an election cycle in which Platner’s fiery spirit matches the mood and Collins’ cautious brand very much doesn’t.
But, boy, if this isn’t a potential self-own, I don’t know what is.
In my conversations around Washington, the mood among Democrats is something close to a hostage situation. In a crucial race, they feel handcuffed to an untested candidate, one who they wish would step aside for the good of the party. The mood is different in Maine, where my colleague Julia Terruso found Democrats far more unfazed by the latest Platner revelations, including accusations from an ex-girlfriend that he was physically threatening.
Nevertheless, Platner is now the nominee, which means Maine is about to engage in an expensive experiment to answer several thorny questions: What are voters willing to overlook? How much weight does incumbency carry? Will voters fed up with Donald Trump give Susan Collins points for having held him at arms length, or punish her for so often backing his agenda?
When I was on the ground in Georgia heading into that early-summer primary in 2022, I spoke to voters all over the state expressing reservations about Walker. So, too, did party bosses, who saw the incumbent, Democrat Raphael Warnock, as beatable. Primary Day brought with it dread for Republicans. And it’s all happening again, neatly flipped
Maine Democrats had another option—sort of. Gov. Janet Mills suspended her campaign in April as she struggled to match Platner’s shine. Yet the term-limited Governor remained on the ballot. In recent days, she low-key reminded her supporters that she was still eligible to take the nomination if offered, but no one really took her up on that fact—in no small measure because the 78-year-old Mills would have been the oldest first-term Senator in history.
Barring Platner bowing out in time—which seems unlikely—Democrats are hunkering down, desperately hoping there aren’t more Platner revelations left to come out before Election Day.
Republicans, meanwhile, are whispering that Democrats’ fears of unused Platner oppo are well-founded. They’re also hinting that, when it comes to Platner, there’s more than one shoe left to drop.
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