The Democratic National Committee omitted Graham Platner of Maine from its photo of the top five Democratic nominees in their respective Senate races.
A poll tracker account on X noted Platner’s absence from the image that featured former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA), Texas state Rep. James Talarico, former Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown, and former Alaska Rep. Mary Peltola. Each Democratic candidate is running for the upper chamber of Congress in their corresponding state.
The photo urged Democratic voters to help flip the Republican-controlled Senate in the November midterm elections.
“We’re organizing to elect Democrats across the country who will take back power from Donald Trump,” the DNC said in a pop-up message when people visit its website. “Chip in today.”
The advertisement does not account for all Democratic nominees in Senate elections nationwide. There are more than 30 Senate seats up for grabs this election cycle.
Platner’s exclusion amounted to a logistical problem, according to the DNC, as there are only so many candidates one can fit comfortably in one ad.
A DNC official said the committee does not feature all Senate campaigns in each of its fundraising appeals or ads. The official confirmed that Platner’s campaign will continue to be featured in the future.
He was previously featured in a recent DNC ad featuring Talarico, Ossoff, Peltola, Cooper, and Iowa state Rep. Josh Turek. Brown was not included in this ad.
Platner notably wrote a fundraising letter for the DNC, showing that the two are working together despite doubts to the contrary.
Weeks earlier, Platner won his primary election as he faced abuse allegations related to his past relationships with several women. The Democratic nominee has denied the allegations and refused to drop out of the race.
Platner is running to unseat Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) in the general election. The Marine veteran and oyster farmer maintains a 2-point lead over the incumbent, according to the latest poll in the race.
The controversies surrounding Platner have become a point of contention for Democrats, some of whom were told by the candidate himself that there would be no more substantive allegations coming his way. Platner made the reported statement while meeting with lawmakers in Washington, a week before Maine’s June 9 primary. His attempt to quell their concerns was undermined by a New York Times report featuring several women he previously dated, including Republican operative Lyndsey Fifield.
The abuse allegations followed another scandal involving Platner’s Nazi-associated chest tattoo, which was seen in an unearthed video from his time in the military. He has repeatedly denied any ties to Nazism and insisted he was unaware of the tattoo’s resemblance to the Totenkopf symbol.
Despite the numerous controversies, the Democratic establishment, led by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), and the party’s progressive wing, represented by Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), continue to support Platner’s campaign.
When Platner won the primary election in a landslide vote earlier this month, the DNC congratulated him on the victory.
“In less than a year, Graham Platner built a grassroots movement around putting working Mainers first — ahead of corporations, special interests, and the ultra-wealthy,” DNC Chairman Ken Martin said in a statement.
“While Susan Collins cuts healthcare, increases everyday costs, undercuts workers, and rubberstamps Donald Trump’s extreme agenda, Graham will focus on making life more affordable while delivering for communities across Maine,” Martin added. “The DNC is ready to help organize and mobilize voters to defeat Susan Collins, take back the Senate, and prioritize the concerns of working families.”
The party committee noted Collins’s seat will be “highly competitive” in November.
MAINE SENATE POLLING STAYS TIGHT AS PLATNER TRIES TO HAMMER COLLINS ON ABORTION
In January, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee listed Maine as one of the states in which Democrats have a chance of regaining control in the Senate. In its press release, the DSCC made no mention of Platner and instead discussed his former primary opponent, Gov. Janet Mills (D-ME), before she suspended her Senate campaign months later.
After withdrawing from the race, Mills remained on the primary ballot. She trailed Platner by about 52 percentage points, according to the election results.