Platner Leads Mills 58%–24% in Maine Poll

A University of New Hampshire/Pine Tree poll conducted Oct. 16–21 of about 1,094 Maine residents finds Democratic insurgent Graham Platner leading the 2026 Democratic Senate primary with 58% support to Gov. Janet Mills’s 24% (margin of error ±3%). The survey was taken as controversy over resurfaced Reddit posts and a chest tattoo resembling a Nazi-linked symbol emerged; Platner has apologized for past offensive language and covered the tattoo, and the poll may not reflect later revelations. Platner has drawn national progressive backing and strong grassroots fundraising, while Mills emphasizes her statewide electability and long record. The poll also shows incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins with roughly 66% support among likely Republican primary voters and former Gov. Paul LePage leading Rep. Jared Golden by about 5 points in the 2nd District in head-to-head matchups. The Pine Tree Poll finds Maine’s November ballot initiatives effectively deadlocked, and observers caution it is still early in the 2026 cycle with dynamics likely to change.