Maine Democrats Locked into Platner Nomination Despite Controversies, Robinson Says

Kaitlin Housler
Graham Platner

Steve Robinson, the editor-in-chief of The Maine Wire, said Democratic insiders are increasingly concerned about U.S. Senate candidate Graham Platner’s growing list of controversies and would like him to withdraw from the race, but warned that under Maine law, party leaders have no mechanism to remove him from the ballot if he wins the nomination.

Speaking during Tuesday’s edition of The Michael Patrick Leahy Show as Maine Democrats headed into their primary election, Robinson argued that Platner’s nomination is effectively secured despite a series of controversies involving his personal history, online activity, and allegations from former partners.

“I do not think that he is likely to terminate his candidacy,” Robinson said.

“I think that Democratic insiders in the state would like him to. I think that the Democrat machine knows that he’s got a broad attack surface, especially facing someone like Susan Collins, who, regardless of what you think about her politics as a Republican or a conservative, when it comes to winning elections in Maine, she’s pretty damn good at it,” he added.

Robinson said Democratic officials would have limited options if they concluded Platner could not successfully challenge incumbent U.S. Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) in November, arguing that Democrats are effectively locked into supporting a nominee whose campaign has been overshadowed by troubling allegations on multiple fronts.

“The only person who can end his candidacy is Graham Platner,” Robinson said. “He has until July 13 to voluntarily terminate his candidacy.”

He said Platner’s path to the nomination was largely locked in before recent damaging reports emerged because a significant share of Democratic voters had already cast ballots through early voting.

“He’s already won,” Robinson said. “The primary was decided several weeks ago thanks to the Democratic love affair for not just Election Day, but election month.”

According to Robinson, between 30 and 40 percent of Democratic voters had already voted before major news stories detailing allegations against Platner began appearing.

“The die has largely been cast,” he said.

Robinson predicted that Platner would comfortably win the Democratic nomination under Maine’s ranked-choice voting system.

“I think that you’ll see Graham Platner easily get past 50 percent, which in the RCV system means that he’ll win the nomination in the first round of voting,” Robinson said. “I would consider that a lock.”

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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network.
Photo “Graham Platner” by Graham Platner. 

 

 

 

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