Top of Mind Thursday – July 9, 2026: The Reign in Maine Falls Directly into the Profane

This week, Graham Platner, the Democratic candidate for US Senate for Maine, suspended his campaign.

This campaign has been bumpy from the start. Platner has a Nazi-themed tattoo on his chest, for which he denied knowing the origin (even though a former girlfriend said he told her otherwise). He supposedly is an oyster farmer, yet the only compensation noted on his campaign disclosures is $5000 in sales to his mother’s restaurant.

On top of that, Platner has been accused of sexual assault by several women. The final straw appears to have been this week’s accusation of rape by a former girlfriend. Finally, the Democratic Party said, enough is enough.

The question is why such a flawed candidate was allowed to get this far to start. In the mad rush to change party control in Congress, we seem to have lost the need to focus on character. Democrats have been promoting nontraditional candidates with little to no experience in government service, questionable past behavior, and disturbing prior affiliations. Republicans have been dumping candidates that don’t profess enough loyalty to President Trump.

In Maine, Platner was running against Susan Collins, a moderate Republican who, since taking office in 1997, became the first senator to cast over 10,000 consecutive votes without a single absence. Certainly, Collins’ seat is of great importance to both parties, which is why this race has captured national attention.

At least 6 Democrats have now announced plans to vie for Platner’s spot on the November ticket. Let’s hope the winner will be someone who, together with Susan Collins, can offer Maine voters two solid choices for representation in Washington.

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