Mills Gains First Lead Over Platner in Latest Senate Poll

The first polls showing the governor leading the Maine oysterman ahead of their Senate primary matchup have been released.

While several Democrats are still competing for the chance to take on Susan Collins in November 2026, the race currently centers on the two biggest names in the field: Janet Mills and Graham Platner.

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According to a new SoCal Strategies Maine Poll conducted October 21st–25th, 500 likely Democratic primary voters were surveyed using the Pollfish online panel.

The results show incumbent Governor Janet Mills leading Graham Platner by 5 points in the Democratic Senate primary.

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Following revelations that Platner had a Nazi symbol tattooed on his chest, Mills now leads him in Maine’s Democratic Senate primary.

When voters were informed of the scandal through an informed ballot question, Mills’ lead surged to 30 points, according to the poll—suggesting that the controversy could be a powerful attack line for Mills despite the inherently leading nature of such questions.

Even though Mills holds a narrow lead statewide, Platner dominates among younger voters, leading by nearly 40 points with those aged 18 to 29.

He still maintains nearly a 20-point edge with young voters even after news of his scandal. Polling also shows that Democratic primary voters in Maine care more about shared values than general election electability, opening a potential path for progressive candidates in 2026.

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And there you have it! According to polling from SoCal Strategies, Mills holds a slight lead over her biggest primary challenger.

What are your thoughts on this recent polling? We’d love to hear from you! Feel free to join the conversation by messaging us on the app.

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