Sen. Susan Collins’s (R-ME) campaign and allied Republican groups launched a series of television ads this week targeting Democratic Senate nominee Graham Platner, signaling that his past comments and controversies will be a central focus of the general election campaign.
The ads, released shortly after Platner secured the Democratic nomination in Maine’s Tuesday primary, highlight the mounting controversies Platner has faced throughout his primary campaign.
One ad focuses on comments Platner allegedly made about rural Mainers and law enforcement. The spot features voters criticizing Platner for remarks they viewed as insulting to rural residents and dismissive of police officers, arguing that he lacks respect for both communities.
“Graham Platner has no respect for law enforcement,” the voter in the ad said. “Graham Platner said some law enforcement are absolutely terrible people. Graham Plattner, you got it absolutely wrong. It disgusts me. Grand Platinum would be a big embarrassment for me.”
A second ad highlights past comments about sexual assault. The ad features remarks made in since-deleted social media posts attributed to Platner. The posts, which resurfaced in October, included comments suggesting women should “not get so fed up they wind up having sex with someone they don’t mean to.” Another post said that women should “act like an adult for f’s sake” to avoid rape.
“Who says something like that?” A woman said in the ad, after reading the posts. “What’s wrong with this guy?”
“He’s an awful person,” said another woman in the ad. “Graham Platner is dangerous. I would never vote for Graham Platner.”
The ads were paid for by the Pine Tree Results Political Action Committee, a conservative super PAC formed in 2025 to raise funds for Collins’s reelection.
A third ad, paid for by the National Republican Senatorial Committee, contrasts Collins’ background and record with Platner’s upbringing. The spot highlights Collins’s Maine roots and her efforts to secure federal funding for projects across the state while portraying Platner as disconnected from everyday Mainers. Throughout the campaign, Platner has portrayed himself as relatable to rural Mainers through his socialist rhetoric, military veteran past, and oyster farm.
FOUR SCANDALS MAINE SENATE CANDIDATE GRAHAM PLATNER IS FACING
“Susan Collins spent time as a kid picking potatoes in Maine,” the ad’s narrator said. “Graham Plattner spent time as a kid at a $70,000 a year prep school in Connecticut. Susan Collins has brought more than $1.5 billion back to Maine for hospitals, schools, roads, and communities across the state. Graham Plattner runs a hobby oyster farm whose only customer is his mother’s restaurant.”
The ad also revisits the controversy surrounding a tattoo on Platner’s chest that resembles a Nazi SS “Totenkopf,” or “death’s head,” symbol, which has followed Platner throughout the campaign.