Sen. Susan Collins of Maine
Graham Platner‘s victory this week in Maine‘s U.S. Senate Democratic primary may be evidence that a new hyper-realism is taking hold in the Democratic Party. Faced with a crucial Senate general election against Republican incumbent Susan Collins, many Democratic voters appear willing to overlook Platner’s long list of personal controversies, instead focusing on the larger goal of winning a Senate seat in order to take back the Senate majority.
If this is the case, the shift is striking because Platner’s campaign has been shadowed by a series of damaging stories. including his tattoo that resembles the Nazi-era Totenkopf symbol, resurfaced online comments containing racist and sexist remarks, sexting other women after recently having gotten married, and accusations by former partners accusing Platner of abusive or intimidating conduct.
The political significance of Platner’s primary victory despite these controversies is not that Democratic voters believe all the allegations against him are false. Indeed, Platner’s Nazi tattoo and intolerant online postings were there for all to see, and he admitted to the sexting. Rather, many Democrats in Maine and elsewhere appear to have concluded that the stakes of the 2026 U.S. Senate battle outweigh them. Simply put, the Senate majority is up for grabs this November, and control of the Senate is all-important when it comes to approving or halting Donald Trump‘s legislative agenda, his judicial nominations (including potential U.S. Supreme Court nominations), and more.
For years, Republicans have been this Machiavellian, overlooking character concerns in their candidates in pursuit of power. Obviously, Donald Trump is Exhibit A in that regard. However, Democrats have treated their own candidates and office holders far more strictly. They have forced politicians such as Al Franken, Anthony Weiner, Eliot Spitzer, Andrew Cuomo, and others to resign when misconduct was alleged or demonstrated against them. Even Hillary Clinton and Kamala Harris faced intense Democratic criticism over perceived ethical, ideological, or political shortcomings (Hillary’s paid speeches, Kamala’s positions on Middle East matters, etc.), to the point where such criticism hurt voter turnout for the candidates in crucial swing states in their presidential elections.
So if Democrats are suddenly embracing a New Machiavellianism i.e. a “winning is everything attitude” by supporting Graham Platner despite his many shortcomings, that’s a big departure from past practice. And so is the emerging Democratic argument for the general election: Susan Collins remains a reliable vote for much of Trump’s agenda, and Democrats need every possible Senate seat to counter the Trump administration on legislation, judicial nominations and more, especially by gaining the Senate majority. Within that crucial mission, Platner’s flaws became a cost of doing business rather than a reason for him to abandon the race.
Whether Democrats will adopt this new approach nationwide, and whether it succeeds politically, remains unclear. Platner is no shoe-in to defeat Sen. Collins, and her campaign certainly will focus on Platner’s character even if Democratic primary voters did not. What is clear is that, at least in Maine, Democrats are testing a more openly transactional view of electoral politics. A good number Democrats seem to have decided that, as the new slogan at revamped liberal Democratic website Daily Kos indicates, “Power Matters” to them too.
Photo by Medill DC, used under Creative Commons license. https://shorturl.at/sRQr1
