Graham Platner, Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, greets supporters after speaking at an event hosted by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) in Orono, Maine, on May 24, 2026. Robert F. Bukaty/AP Photo
Democratic voters in Maine on Tuesday nominated oysterman and military veteran Graham Platner as their candidate to take on incumbent Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), locking in the nominees for one of the most critical Senate elections of the 2026 cycle.
At 9:23 p.m, The Associated Press formally declared that Platner would be the Democratic nominee. When the race was called, Platner led Gov. Janet Mills—who withdrew her candidacy after polls showed her trailing the dark horse Platner—by tens of percent, though only around 8 percent of the votes were in when the race was called.