National progressive group throws support behind Graham Platner

A national progressive political action committee endorsed U.S. Senate candidate Graham Platner on Wednesday, the latest signal that the political novice’s campaign to replace Republican U.S. Sen. Susan Collins does not appear to be hindered by his controversial past remarks. 

The endorsement from the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, a political action committee associated with progressive movements, comes weeks after Maine and the rest of the country gained a more complete picture of the veteran and oyster farmer’s time before deciding to run for national office. 

In Reddit posts, Platner previously made sexist, racist, homophobic and other offensive statements. He also had a tattoo that resembled a Nazi symbol, a connection he denied knowing until recently, that he’s since covered. 

Some other political figures that the Progressive Change Campaign Committee has previously endorsed include Democratic U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, Maxwell Alejandro Frost of Florida, and Jasmine Crockett of Texas.

Endorsements for the Senate race are now stacking up. 

Gov. Janet Mills, who officially entered the primary race days before the controversies were first reported, launched her campaign with the financial backing of national Democrats, specifically a joint fundraising committee between her team and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee called “Maine Senate Victory 2026.”

EMILY’s List, the nation’s largest resource for women in politics, has endorsed Mills, the two-term governor and former attorney general. Prominent political figures have as well, including Democratic governors Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, Andy Beshear of Kentucky and Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico. Former candidates for U.S. Senate Daira Smith-Rodriguez and Dan Kleban also suspended their campaigns to endorse her.

‘Washington need not apply:’ How Mainers are evaluating controversy-laden Graham Platner

In addition to Platner’s new endorsement Wednesday, he has the support of organized labor — United Auto Workers, Maine State Nurses Association, and International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers — as well as a coalition of Democratic youth-focused groups. Independent U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont has also endorsed him.

The Progressive Change Campaign Committee also on Wednesday released results from a poll conducted on the group’s behalf that has Platner leading Mills in the Democratic primary by 20 points.

The poll, conducted by progressive firm Z to A research on behalf of the partisan group, captured 845 likely Democratic primary voters who submitted responses between Nov. 14 through 18, with a margin of error of ±3% for all midterm voters and ±3.4% for Democratic primary voters. 

Respondents were recruited into an online survey instrument through texts from a voter file sample of likely midterm voters — a method that runs the risk of missing older voters. 

Mills declined to comment on the poll and endorsement. 

This poll follows an October survey from the University of New Hampshire conducted as Platner’s controversies were first being reported, which also had Platner leading Mills.

“It’s amazing to see what it feels like on the ground being reflected directly in a poll like this,” Platner said during a press call. “This I think just lays clear what our theory is, which is that we are not going to defeat Susan Collins running the same exact kind of playbook that we’ve run in the past, which is an established politician, supported by the power structures, supported by Washington, D.C.”