CNN data guru: Platner's latest scandal 'looks different' to Maine voters

Graham Platner, Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in Maine, speaks during a "Fighting Oligarchy" campaign rally with U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) in Portland, Maine, U.S., May 25, 2026. REUTERS/Amanda Sabga

Graham Platner has survived a string of scandals in his run for Maine’s Democratic U.S. Senate nomination. But his latest one “looks different,” says CNN analyst Harry Enten.

Platner seemed to have survived his controversial tattoo scandal, his “angry and offensive” Reddit comments scandal, and the scandal surrounding him “amplifying a post by a notorious anti-semite on social media and appearing on a podcast with a different antisemitic conspiracy theorist,” as TIME reported last month.

Platner’s latest scandal involved his alleged sexually explicit texts to women who were not his wife, texts his wife reportedly told his campaign about last year.

Campaign aides “ultimately decided the texts were a private matter that was being handled by the couple in marriage counseling, a campaign official said,” according to the Wall Street Journal.

But now, Enten says, Google searches for “Graham Platner” and “Maine” have been up “significantly” over the past few days.

“We’re talking about up 275 percent over the last three days versus the three-month average, and more than that, more people searched for him on Sunday in Maine than at any point that I could find, even given the past revelations, about the tattoos, as well,” says Enten. “So it seems to me that this time may, in fact, be different where Mainers’ focus on Graham Platner is higher.”

Enten found that “one of our first glimpses into how this might affect Platner’s electoral fortunes is from the prediction market, so you can see that’s right here in the Kalshi prediction market, chance to win the Maine Senate race.”

“About 10 days ago, Democrats had a 70 percent chance — that’s essentially Platner — had a 70 percent chance of winning the general election. Now, that number has fallen. It’s fallen rather significantly.”

Platner has dropped from 70 percent to 59 percent against incumbent GOP Senator Susan Collins. Enten says that is now “well within the margin of error.”

“I dare say too close to call, although Platner is still favored, but his chances have gone down significantly and Collins’ have gone up significantly.”

Polls have consistently underestimated Collins, Enten noted.

Meanwhile, Puck News reports that Democrats are “fretting that their best chance in decades to unseat” Collins is being “jeopardized” by the latest Platner scandal.

Puck notes that “multiple Democrats have described a sense of resignation” that Platner “is the only candidate they’ve got.”

But Maine’s Democratic incumbent Governor Janet Mills, “who suspended her state’s Senate primary, has reminded voters her name is still on the ballot.”

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