Dems cut ties with scandal-plagued Graham Platner, warn of ‘civil war’ in party

Fox News via NY Post ^ | 5/27/26 | Alex Miller

[Libloather]

Top Democratic officials and lawmakers are breaking with Democratic Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner as his past blunders and online history stack up.

Platner’s ascendency to the top of the ticket in Vacationland broke with the Democratic establishment in Washington, D.C., and since Maine Gov. Janet Mills exited from the race, questions about whether he is the right choice to take on Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, have exploded.

Much of that is fueled by scandals that have cropped up seemingly week after week, be it a tattoo on his chest of a Nazi symbol or inflammatory posts online.

Some in the Democratic Party warn that it’s spurring a “civil war” between the moderate and left wings of the party.

Melissa DeRosa, former New York Mayor Andrew Cuomo’s chief of staff, told Fox News’ Bret Baier that Platner’s rise and ensuing questions of his fitness as a candidate are demonstrative of the bubbling conflict within the Democratic Party.

“The main race really demonstrates the civil war that’s happening within the Democratic Party, and there are a lot of Democrats, moderate Democrats like myself, who will not cry tears should we lose Maine,” DeRosa said.

“I mean, that would be a pickup to begin with.”

Senate Democrats view Maine as one of the most viable pickup opportunities in the 2026 midterm cycle in their quest to regain control of the upper chamber.

Platner is not the candidate that party bosses wanted, but since jumping into the race last year, he has built a growing national profile that reached new heights earlier this month when he landed on the cover of Time magazine.

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TOPICS: Business/Economy; Conspiracy; History; Local News
KEYWORDS: collins; democrats; grahamplatner; janetmills; maine; melissaderosa; nazi; platner; susancollins; war

[bigfootbob]

All of the above. LOL!

[FrankRizzo890]

I think they should only call BR-549 if they’re looking to buy a used car.

Just sayin’ ;)

[DownInFlames]

He’ll. I’ll reload for them. Just bring your brass, primer, powder and ball.

[aquila48]

[catnipman]

“a “civil war” between the moderate and left wings of the party.”

seriously? ...

there’s no such thing as a “moderate wing” in today’s Dem party: there are only the hard-left wing, the socialist wing, and the Communist wing ...

[Milagros]

For the GOP it’s better that a Nazi tattooed guy is promoted... it exposes their racism.

[1Old Pro]

“The main race really demonstrates the civil war that's happening within the Democratic Party, and there are a lot of Democrats, moderate Democrats like myself, who will not cry tears should we lose Maine,” DeRosa said.

First, it's an embarrassment that FOX is paying DeRosa as a contributor - she aided and abetted Cuomo. 2nd, this guy is a loser, Collins will eat his lunch. Yes he's an embarrassment but that's on the Dems who allowed this and allowed Biden to run again, and on and on. They double down on stupid.

[SunkenCiv]

Yup.