Graham Platner wins Maine Dem Senate primary; Mace out in South Carolina: June 9 primary results

Maine Democrat Senate nominee Graham Platner argued Wednesday that he has already been subjected to “an immense amount of bad faith reporting” as he turns toward a high-profile general election matchup with Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine.

“I’ve already been the subject of an immense amount of bad faith reporting, frankly, an immense amount of lies,” Platner said during a virtual town hall.

The remarks come in response to a New York Times investigative piece which interviewed exes of Platner, many alleging sexual misconduct and abuse.

The Democrat predicted Republicans and outside groups would spend heavily against him in the months ahead.

“The Republicans are going to spend at least $50 million on this race,” Platner said. “They’re going to fill the airwaves with nonsense, with lies.”

Platner said the best response would be maintaining direct contact with voters rather than relying on traditional campaigning.

“The only way to fight through that … is by going out and being accessible to folks,” he said.

Maine Democrat Senate nominee Graham Platner used his first virtual town hall since securing the party’s nomination to cast himself as an outsider battling both the political establishment and incumbent Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine.

The self-described socialist, who cruised to victory in Tuesday’s Democrat primary, also sharpened his attacks on Collins and broadened his criticism to include an entire "system."

“We are up against a powerful system,” Platner said. “Corrupt politicians like Susan Collins, a flawed and at this point activist conservative judiciary with people like Brett Kavanaugh and Alito and Thomas, we are up against a health care system that does not want to provide health care.”

Platner also took aim at what he called a foreign policy establishment that profits from military intervention.

“We are up against a foreign policy apparatus that views militaristic adventurism as a foundation, continuing these forever wars that do absolutely nothing for the working people of this country,” he said. “All of that makes defense companies an immense amount of money, which is why we keep doing it.”

Without directly addressing the controversies that shadowed his primary campaign, Platner suggested that the current status quo is one of "corruption."

“They have told us for a very long time that we need a politics of compromise,” Platner said. “But what they really mean is a politics of corruption. They just want to keep the status quo going.”

Republican California gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton used his first Fox News interview after advancing from the primary to frame the November race as a referendum on “16 years of one-party rule” in California, repeatedly casting Democrat rival Javier Becerra as emblematic of state decline.

“It’s a very straightforward argument,” Hilton said on “The Story with Martha MacCallum.” “Do you want more of the same or do you want change?”

Hilton, the Trump-endorsed former Fox News host, officially advanced to the general election this week after California’s prolonged vote count wrapped, setting up a showdown with former Biden HHS Secretary Javier Becerra.

During the interview, Hilton slammed California’s election system as “insane,” criticized universal mail-in voting and ballot harvesting, and pushed a November ballot initiative requiring voter ID and proof of citizenship.

The GOP candidate argued California voters are frustrated by high taxes, housing costs, homelessness and crime.

Hilton also rolled out populist-style economic promises, including making the “first hundred grand tax free,” lowering gas prices to $3 per gallon and cutting electric bills in half through expanded domestic energy production.

“The government’s got too big, the regulations are too extreme, the taxes are too high,” Hilton said. “We need to cut your costs, help your business, fix our schools.”

Senate Republicans are warning that scandal-plagued oysterman Graham Platner could still defeat Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, if the party fails to take the race seriously.

Republicans are defending several seats in expectedly close races, including Nebraska, Iowa, North Carolina, Ohio and Texas, while seeking to flip Georgia. Maine is different: Sen. Susan Collins' seat is the only Republican-held Senate seat in a state won by Kamala Harris in 2024, making it Democrats' most direct path to returning Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., to the majority leader's office, Republicans said in a memo circulated Wednesday.

"It is a fatal mistake to assume Platner is too damaged to win," the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) memo obtained by Fox News — addressed to "Interested Parties" — read.

The NRSC agreed that Maine is the "linchpin" of the 35 seats up this year and that despite Platner’s Nazi tattoo, allegations of misogynist violence, arousal from biocide in port-a-johns, and his socialist policy platform, he remains a credible threat to the middle-of-the-road Collins.

"Senator Collins has won tough races before and can win this one, but only if we meet this moment with total urgency," the NRSC said.

"Because Democrats cannot win the majority without [Collins’ seat], they have fully rallied around Graham Platner, an extremely flawed, far-left candidate who secured the nomination last night. Platner has captured his party’s financial backing, outraising Senator Collins in every quarter since entering the race. We must match both the energy and the money to retain the seat," the memo said.

The NRSC said Democrats don’t view Platner’s race as being about the flawed candidate but rather about usurping power.

The committee said any one of Platner’s multiple scandals would have ended most campaigns, but Democrats remain united around him. The NRSC reported that after former girlfriend Lyndsey Fifield’s allegations against Platner broke, Platner raised $200,000 in one day in what the campaign said was its best haul of the cycle.

"The political fundamentals in Maine remain challenging, and it is a fatal mistake to assume Platner is too damaged to win," the NRSC said.

Collins is the last remaining federal Republican in New England and the only Republican in the Senate north or east of Pennsylvania.

The NRSC reported that Platner is beating Harris’ own margins by seven points while noting Collins has won tough races in the past, but this one is different.

This is an excerpt of an article by Fox News Digital's Charles Creitz and Alexis McAdams.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., celebrated his decisive South Carolina Republican primary victory by declaring the Palmetto State “Trump country” and blasting a faction of “anti-Trumpers” within the GOP.

“One thing was made crystal clear last night: South Carolina is Trump country, not Tucker Carlson country, Thomas Massie country, Marjorie Taylor Greene country, or Joe Kent country,” Graham said in a statement shared on X Wednesday.

“This loud but small group of isolationists, anti-Israel, and anti-Trumpers were soundly defeated by a candidate who embraced President Trump and his true MAGA agenda,” he added.

Graham secured nearly 57% of the vote Tuesday night, avoiding a runoff and defeating five challengers in the GOP Senate primary.

The longtime senator also credited President Donald Trump’s endorsement as “the gold standard in the Republican world” and thanked South Carolina Republican voters “for rejecting the garbage.”

The comments come after months of criticism from some MAGA-aligned conservatives over Graham’s hawkish foreign policy positions and support for U.S. backing of Israel and Ukraine amid ongoing conflicts.

RNC Chair Joe Gruters escalated Republican attacks against Maine Democrat Senate nominee Graham Platner on Wednesday, arguing Democrats are willing to “support anyone to gain power” as the party rallies behind the scandal-plagued candidate.

“Mainers have a choice in November, and they will choose @SenSusanCollins,” Gruters wrote in a post on X alongside a graphic contrasting longtime Republican Sen. Susan Collins with what he described as “extreme, out-of-touch candidates like Graham Platner.”

The post comes one day after Platner won Maine’s Democrat Senate primary despite weeks of controversy surrounding allegations of misconduct, inflammatory online comments and a tattoo resembling a Nazi-linked symbol which he later covered.

Republicans have increasingly sought to nationalize the race, casting the Collins-Platner matchup as a referendum on the Democrat Party’s direction ahead of midterms.

BREWER, Maine – The morning after Democrat Graham Platner cruised to his party’s Senate nomination, the executive director of the blue-leaning state’s Republican Party charged that oysterman and military combat veteran who has been playing defense against mounting controversies is “an embarrassment for average working Mainers.”

With his Tuesday night victory, Platner, who is backed by progressive champions including Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and who pushing a populist agenda, will now challenge longtime moderate Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, in a race that’s among a handful which will determine if the GOP holds on to its slim Senate majority in this year’s midterm elections.

Ahead of the primary, Platner had been dealing with a slew of negative headlines and plenty of incoming fire from Republicans and even some Democrats over his multiple controversies.

But Platner has been playing defense the past month, amid multiple controversies.

They include inflammatory online comments made on Reddit, a well-publicized and now covered-up tattoo on his chest that resembled a Nazi symbol, recent reports that he exchanged sexually explicit messages with several women while married, and new allegations last week from ex-girlfriends of a history of rape fantasies, heavy drinking and violent episodes. Platner has called the latest allegations of violence untrue.

Maine GOP Executive Director Jason Savage, in a Fox News Digital interview on Wednesday, argued that “what we've gotten to know about Graham Platner so far is just an absolute disaster.”

“And let's talk about policy a little bit, and ask him, is there anything that Bernie Sanders supports that you don't?" Savage asked. "Where do you align with Bernie Sanders? Is it 100% Is it 95% And what's the difference there?

"Those are the things that we think Graham Platner has to do to make his case, and to try to get voters of Maine to trust him. he got Democrats to trust him in a primary by making a bunch of promises and kind of playing the victim when it's his bad behavior that is really what we need to get to the bottom of here.”

President Donald Trump went all-in with a firm rebuke of Democratic Maine Democratic Senate nominee Graham Platner as a "thug" and a "loser."

“I watch that thug that’s up in Maine," Trump said during an Oval Office signing Wednesday morning hours after Platner's primary victory. "He’s a thug. And they’re trying to make excuses for him. I mean, he’s worse than any human being that’s ever run for office, probably.”

Trump added he's "never seen anything like" Platner's political baggage amid allegations of infidelity, misconduct and questionable social media posts.

“He’s a thug, I know thugs; I had to deal with thugs," Trump continued. "I built a lot of buildings. I dealt with the toughest people on earth. I dealt with worse than thugs.

"This guy’s a thug. He’s a low-level thug.”

Trump added Platner's sketchy "rap sheet" makes him "a cheap, no-good person,” but "Dumocrat

“I watch these senators on the Democrats and, ‘Well, we don’t really know,’" Trump lamented. "You do know. He’s as bad — I’ve never seen a person like that run for office.

"He’s a bad guy, you know, just a bad guy.”

Trump claimed Republicans would never allow someone like Platner run for Senate in their party, but some in the Oval Office vowed to defeat him at the ballot box before Platner made it to Washington.

“Could you imagine? The Republicans had him? What if we had him?” Trump asked.

“If it meant losing the Senate, you would not let that happen. That’s just a terrible thing.”

Trump made one of his patented jokes, too.

"Guy’s a loser – other than that, he might be a very nice guy,” he said, before returned to the Platner topic later in the Oval Office news conference, calling Platner "a pig."

"He's just an outright pig," Trump said. "He's like a pig. I watched him, a couple of times. He's like a pig. That's what he reminds me of.

"You know, I come up with good names for people. I don't want to stick him with that one; although, I think pigs would be very upset about it."

Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner should be considered a “misogynist Nazi,” according to Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D.

Asked if Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, can defeat the Bernie Sanders-backed candidate in the midterm election, Thune told Fox News' "America's Newsroom" on Wednesday morning, “I do.”

“The Democrat Party is defending a misogynist Nazi as their candidate in the Maine Senate election,” Thune said. “It is pretty stunning really, if you think about it, to hear people get up there and defend this person’s actions.”

The race is very much about Platner and what his candidacy represents, according to Thune.

“Yes, it is about him, this election,” Thune said. “Because if he comes to the United States Senate, it’s going to be about the United States Senate and the future of this country.

“What the Democrats insist on doing is continue to nominate people who are so far left,” he added. “This party has moved so far left to where the American people are that it’s hard even to find a reasonable Democrat to deal with on any issue these days.

“In my view, at least, the Democrat Party, in many cases — you can take this one, you can take the one in Texas — these are far-left candidates, which is why Bernie Sanders is out there endorsing them ,” Thune concluded. “There isn’t a moderate wing anymore in the Democrat Party.”

Republican leaders are sharpening their attacks on Graham Platner after his win in Maine, warning voters that the Democratic Senate nominee is too extreme for the state.

Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., chair of the National Senatorial Committee, wrote on X that Platner’s victory marks “the beginning of the end” for his campaign.

“He will be exposed, his agenda destroyed, and Mainers will reject him,” Scott wrote. “No amount of DC Democrat support or left-wing billionaire backing will save him.”

Scott added that “the choice in Maine is clear” and said Republicans will take nothing for granted in the race.

Republican National Committee Chair Joe Gruters also sounded the alarm, directing voters to a new Republican-backed website targeting Platner and pointing to his claim that allegations of misconduct should not be "concerning" to voters.

“Every single person in Maine should be concerned,” Gruters wrote on X. “Go to GrahamPlatner.org to see exactly who Platner is.”

Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., congratulated fellow Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., fending off a Republican primary challenge Tuesday night, praising the longtime Republican senator as an ally of President Donald Trump.

“Congratulations, Lindsey!" Scott, chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, wrote in a statement. "South Carolina knows that Lindsey Graham stands with Donald Trump by always putting our nation first. Onward to victory in November.”

Graham’s victory sets him up for the general election in November as Republicans look to defend the South Carolina Senate seat in an upper chamber than hangs on a slim 53-47 GOP majority.

Graham Platner’s campaign told Fox News Digital early Wednesday morning that the Maine Democratic Senate nominee did not have any events scheduled for the day.

But Platner’s campaign showed him out on a different kind of trail, a bike trail ride with kids, touting his campaign after Tuesday night’s victory.

“I am really excited to continue on this journey and this ride with rest of you all,” Platner said, peddling away in the campaign video posted to X.

Connecting with kids and the community is a way to defuse divisive politics, he said.

“It’s exactly the thing we need a lot more of in this country, which is people coming together and realizing that their neighbors are good people, and everybody really just wants to help each other out,” he continued. “It’s the message we need to take into our politics, which is why we won last night.”

Fox News' Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.

The National Republican Congressional Committee praised Republican Cody Whipple after his primary win in Nevada’s 4th Congressional District, framing the race as a contrast between a new conservative candidate and Rep. Steven Horsford, D-Nev.

"Republican Cody Whipple represents the next generation of conservative leadership Nevada needs," NRCC spokesman Christian Martinez wrote in a statement.

"While radical Steven Horsford has spent years rubber-stamping the failed agenda that fueled inflation, weakened border security, and made life harder for working families, Cody Whipple will fight to lower costs, support law enforcement, strengthen Nevada's economy, and put Nevadans first."

Whipple, a desert rancher, won Tuesday’s GOP primary over a field that included attorney Ronda Kennedy and Anthony Snowden. He will now face Horsford, a veteran Democratic lawmaker and former chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, in the November general election.

A new post-primary National Republican Senatorial Committee memo warns: “it is a fatal mistake to assume Platner is too damaged to win."

The memo tells Republicans not to underestimate Graham Platner, arguing that despite the controversies, he remains a credible threat to Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and could help Democrats flip the seat.

The memo calls Maine the “linchpin” in the Senate fight, with Democrats fully "consolidating" behind Platner despite controversies.

"The most important development of the last week is not another damaging story about Platner: It is the Democrat response to it; they are not abandoning him; they are propping him up," the memo warned.

"National Democrats, donors, operatives, and activists are building a permission structure for voters to support Platner anyway."

Republicans must treat the race as a top-tier battleground that required immediate urgency and resources to defend Collins, the memo added.

Collins can beat him, the memo urges, but says it will not be easy.

“Sen. Collins has won tough races before and can win this one, but only if we meet this moment with total urgency,” the memo concluded.

Fox News' Eric Mack contributed to this report.

A leading Republican super PAC is sharpening its attacks on Graham Platner after the Maine Democrat’s primary victory, calling him a “dangerous deviant” while warning that his campaign could threaten GOP control of the Senate.

“Democrats have spoken and the stakes for Mainers this fall could not be higher,” Senate Leadership Fund Executive Director Alex Latcham wrote in a statement Wednesday morning.

"While Sen. Susan Collins has demonstrated strong character, steady leadership, and unmatched effectiveness, Graham Platner is a dangerous deviant who cannot be trusted to represent the Pine Tree State.

"Graham Platner presents a serious threat to the Republican Senate majority, and Senate Leadership Fund is proud to stand with Sen. Collins to ensure she is re-elected this November.”

Maine Democrat Gov. Janet Mills said she will “continue to fight” for residents after the state’s Democratic primary for U.S. Senate, weeks after she suspended her own campaign for the seat.

"I am grateful to Maine people and incredibly proud of what we have accomplished together," Mills wrote in a statement after his suspended Senate campaign officially lost to nominee Graham Platner in a landslide. "I will continue to fight with everything I have to improve the lives and livelihoods of Maine people.”

Mills, a two-term governor who has termed out, suspended her Senate campaign April 30, citing a lack of financial resources against Platner, who had a large lead in polling.

“Throughout my two campaigns for governor and this one for Senate, what I have always loved the most is traveling across our beautiful state and getting to talk to Maine people,” she wrote in Wednesday morning's statement.

“Hearing their concerns and their worries, their hopes and their dreams, has always inspired me to never stop fighting for them – whether that’s expanding healthcare, protecting access to abortion, making historic investments in housing, delivering free school meals and free community college, or expanding broadband."

Graham Platner's breaking of trust in the early days of his marriage to his wife Amy was only revealed in the Senate Democrat's primary campaign because a former staffer "broke that trust" of keeping it secret, he lamented hours after advancing to the November general election.

"This was a very private thing for my wife and I, and the only reason it's out is because we confided in someone we trusted on the campaign, who then went and broke that trust," Platner told MS NOW's "Morning Joe" on Wednesday morning, saying he had "no" regrets on not coming clean before the details were leaked.

"So it's, I mean, Amy and I have a very strong marriage, and it's mostly strong because of some of the challenges we faced early on and the work we did to get through it.

"So no, I mean, I'm not happy it's out, but," he concluded, "I would say it's been entirely blown out of proportion as to what the reality of the situation is."

Maine Democratic Senate nominee Graham Platner reiterated Wednesday that there is “nothing out there” that should concern voters, a vow that has previously led to more revelations seized on by opponents and critics.

“I can just tell you, there is nothing out there that is going to run counter to any of the stories that I’ve talked about openly this entire campaign,” Platner told MS NOW's “Morning Joe” on Wednesday morning, hours after winning the Senate Democratic primary in a runaway.

“And I know everyone continues to be like, ‘Oh, what else is coming?’”

The infidelity controversies surrounding him have all stemmed from the same period of personal struggle, Platner admitted.

“The whole ‘what else is coming’ has essentially been the same thing the whole time,” he said. “I’ve been very open about the fact that I struggled, very open about the fact I had a long litany of failed relationships for years, because I myself was not in a good place.”

Pressed again on whether anything concerning could still surface, Platner was more direct.

“I just want to make this clear: There’s nothing out there that’s actually concerning,” he said. “People will make everything seem very concerning because that’s what people do in politics.”

Tuesday’s primaries in Maine and South Carolina offered an early look at the political forces shaping the 2026 midterms: a resurgent Democratic left, voters willing to look past candidate controversies, and Donald Trump’s continued grip on the Republican Party.

TOP TAKEAWAYS FROM THE PRIMARY ELECTIONS IN MAINE AND SOUTH CAROLINA: 'MOVEMENT ABOUT US'

In Maine, Graham Platner, an oyster farmer and military combat veteran, won the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate, setting up a high-stakes general election fight against Sen. Susan Collins, R-S.C. The race is expected to be one of the contests that could determine control of the Senate.

Platner’s win was a boost for progressives, who rallied behind his economically populist message and outsider brand. Backed by Sens. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., Platner argued that his campaign was bigger than the personal attacks and controversies that dogged him in the closing stretch.

“This is a movement about us,” Platner said in his victory speech, framing the win around working-class voters “working far too hard and struggling far too much.”

In South Carolina, Trump also had a strong night. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. , backed by the president, won enough support in the GOP primary to avoid a runoff. In the governor’s race, Trump-endorsed Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette finished first and advanced to a June 23 runoff against Attorney General Alan Wilson.

Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.

Republican Cody Whipple won the GOP primary in Nevada’s 4th Congressional District on Tuesday, advancing to a November showdown with Democratic Rep. Steven Horsford.

Whipple, a Nevada rancher, emerged from a Republican primary field that included attorney Ronda Kennedy and Anthony Snowden. He now faces Horsford, a veteran lawmaker and former chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus who has represented the Las Vegas-area district since returning to Congress in 2019.

The contest is expected to draw attention from both parties as Republicans seek to expand their House majority and Democrats work to protect vulnerable seats in battleground states.

Republican National Committee Chairman Joe Gruters escalated attacks on Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner following his primary victory, accusing him of being a "racist, sexist, Nazi-loving domestic abuser who fantasizes about rape and murder."

The social media post from Gruters comes as Platner's campaign has been riddled with controversies. Just weeks ago, it was revealed that Platner used Kik, dubbed a "predatory sex app" by Gruters, to send sexualy implicit images to multiple women shortly after marrying his wife in 2023.

Platner has also faced scrutiny over a a tattoo that resembled the Nazi-linked Totenkopf symbol. He has denied knowingly embracing Nazi imagery and has since covered up the design.

The Democratic nominee has faced allegations from former girlfriends who accused him of emotional abuse and intimidation, including one claim that he twisted an ex-girlfriend's arm. Platner has rejected the accusations, and no charges have been filed against him.

Gruters argued that Democratic support for Platner would hurt the party's prospects in the general election, writing that "the fact that Democrats have embraced him in service of a radical socialist agenda has placed the final nail in the coffin of their chances to win Maine in November."

The attack also comes after prominent Democrats, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., congratulated Platner on his victory.

Progressive Sens. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., congratulated Graham Platner Tuesday night after the Maine Democrat won his party’s Senate primary, setting up a high-stakes November showdown with longtime Republican Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine.

"Together, we will defeat Oligarchy and create an economy that works for all, not just the few," Sanders said on X, after congratulating Platner on his "landslide victory."

Warren also celebrated Platner’s win in a post on X, throwing her support behind the progressive candidate as Democrats look to flip Collins’ seat to help claw back their majority in the U.S. Senate.

Platner advanced despite weeks of controversy surrounding past online comments, sexually explicit messages and a tattoo that was identified as resembling a Nazi symbol, which has since been covered up.

Collins, a moderate Republican who has served in the Senate since 1997, ran unopposed in the GOP primary.

Republican Sen. Susan Collins said that Democratic Senate nominee Graham Platner was unwise to have taken such a negative tone in his primary victory speech on Tuesday night.

“Mainers aren't looking for bitter campaigns, grand promises, or angry speeches riddled with lies,” Collins said of the speech.

During his victory speech, Platner accused Collins of using her office for self-enrichment, betraying Mainers at the behest of large corporations , lying to voters about working to protect Roe v. Wade, misrepresenting herself as bipartisan, voting to support wars and serving the “Epstein class.”

“The last time she ran for office, she received more money from private equity than any other member of Congress, including some of the same private equity companies that shuttered the mills here in Maine,” Platner said. “And ever since then, she has stood by and done nothing. Well, they have bought up nursing homes, local businesses, the last of the houses we could afford stripped our communities for parts.”

Platner also accused Collins of using her position to enrich her husband's business, which receives federal contracts. Fact-checkers with the Associated Press reported in 2020 that there was no proof Collins used her office to benefit her husband’s company.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., celebrated Maine Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Graham Platner's primary victory Tuesday, a move that comes more than a year after Schumer published a book sounding the alarm about antisemitism in America, despite Platner previously having a tattoo that resembled the Nazi-linked Totenkopf symbol.

In "Antisemitism in America: A Warning", released last year, Schumer argued that antisemitism was growing across the political spectrum, posing a serious threat to Jewish Americans. During a 2025 interview promoting the book, Schumer said he was particularly concerned about antisemitism emerging from his own political party.

Platner came under fire last October after a video resurfaced revealing a skull and bones "Totenkopf" tattoo located on his chest. Platner defended the design by claiming that he was unaware of its association with the Nazi SS. He has since covered the tattoo

Despite the controversy, Schumer and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., who are both Jewish, backed Platner's candidacy. Sanders previously defended his endorsement, arguing that Platner had gone through a "dark period" in his life and deserved to be judged on who he is today.

Graham Platner delivered a speech Tuesday night following his victory in the Maine Democratic Senate primary where he acknowledged his past shortcomings and criticized incumbent GOP Sen. Susan Collins as wealthy and out of touch.

“I've made mistakes in my life, mistakes that I regret, that I live with, and that I continue to learn from,” Platner told supporters. “And I'm still far from perfect. But every day I wake up and I try to be a little bit better and a little bit kinder than I was the day before.”

Platner stands accused of abusing women, engaging in infidelity, making controversial posts on a deleted Reddit account and getting a Nazi symbol tattooed on his chest during his time in the armed forces.

The Democratic Senate nominee took an opportunity to thank his wife during the speech, crediting her with helping him learn that “people can change.”

Platner also cast the contest between him and Collins as a proxy for what he sees as a struggle between the working class and the wealthy.

“Susan Collins is only bipartisan when it doesn't matter,” Platner said. “Susan Collins calls herself the gold standard of common sense. Common sense would be Mainers not having to choose between seeing a doctor or paying your mortgage. Common sense would be banning billionaires from buying elections, and it would also be giving workers the same seat at the table as CEOs.”

Jenny Honeycutt, a business owner, and Mark Smith, a state legislator, advanced in a crowded GOP primary to replace outgoing Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., on Tuesday evening.

Because no candidate garnered more than 50% of the vote needed to win outright, the primary now heads to a runoff that’s slated to take place on June 23.

Honeycutt, who runs a law firm that helps clients navigate regulations, has positioned herself as a pro-family political outsider, highlighting issues like law and order, the country’s fiscal picture and family finances as key priorities on her website.

Mark Smith, also a small business owner, led a funeral home service before running for the South Carolina House of Representatives. He has served in state legislator since 2020, and, according to his biography, helped cut taxes and support local law enforcement in that role.

The vacancy in the state’s first congressional district arose when Mace, a firebrand conservative, announced her decision to run for governor of the Palmetto State.

During her time in Congress, Mace has attracted attention for being one of the eight Republicans who voted with Democrats to remove former U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in 2023, for championing legislation on cybersecurity and forcing a vote on releasing the Epstein Files earlier this year. 

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, ripped Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner over his recently exposed Reddit posts mocking a wounded U.S. soldier. 

“It’s never appropriate to mock a downed American soldier,” Collins told Fox News Digital. “It’s just appalling.”

The controversy centers on comments posted in 2019 by the now-deleted Reddit account “P-Hustle,” which Platner has previously acknowledged was his. The post reacted to a viral helmet-camera video showing Army Pfc. Ted Daniels being shot four times during a 2012 firefight with Taliban fighters. Daniels survived the attack and later received the Purple Heart.

In the post, Platner called Daniels a “dumb motherf-----” who “didn’t deserve to live” and criticized his actions during the firefight.

When asked more broadly about Platner’s resurfaced online history, Collins noted the volume of controversial posts that have emerged during the campaign.

“You’d have to narrow your question down because there are so many,” she said.

The latest criticism comes as Republicans continue highlighting Platner’s past comments and online activity ahead of Maine’s Senate race. A super PAC aligned with Collins recently launched a website compiling controversies tied to the Democratic candidate, while outside groups have already spent millions on ads targeting him.

Platner, who is seeking the Democratic nomination in Tuesday’s primary election, is expected to face Collins in November if both candidates secure their party nominations.

Republican strategist Kellyanne Conway reacted Tuesday to Maine Senate nominee Graham Platner’s primary victory to ask his party outright how many scandals in its “Scandal-abra” are enough for them to proverbially say uncle.

Host Sean Hannity listed off Platner’s many foibles – from becoming sexually aroused at the scent of biocide in port-a-johns to explicit messaging on apps targeted for young people and mockingly suggesting the reason a Pennsylvania purple heart veteran survived a Taliban attack was because of the terror group’s bad aim.

“Any one of these would have been disqualifying for a United States senator, but all of them cumulatively tells you how screwed the Democratic Party is,” Conway said.

“Win or lose, they stood by this misogynist. They stood by his boorish behavior. So yes, he has a troubling relationship with Nazis and porta-potties, but he has a troubling with the truth.”

Conway said Platner is a fraud and that his persona is fabricated, citing his mother’s restaurant being the reportedly only major customer of his oyster farm.

“The other thing is, he was here two weeks ago in Washington, D.C., Sean, for that famous meeting with female empowerment heroine Kirsten Gillibrand, and the rest of the Democrats, and they said, is there anything else?”

“Ladies and gentlemen, what else do you need? Is there a magic number in the Scandal-abra that would make you stop? Would it have to do with Nazis or women, perhaps underage women?” she said.

She wondered aloud what committees Americans would want Platner serving on and said that if he wins, all Democrats should be repeatedly asked about his views on port-a-johns and Totenkopf insignia.

Minutes after Graham Platner officially became the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Maine, the GOP chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) began predicting his defeat.

“Today marks the beginning of the end of Graham Platner,” Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., wrote in a post to X.

“He will be exposed, his agenda destroyed and Mainers will reject him. No amount of D.C. Democrat support or left-wing billionaire backing will save him.”

Scott’s post underscores Republican confidence as Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, a five-term incumbent with a track record of winning in a left-leaning state, takes on Platner’s message of revolution — and the controversies that have clouded his campaign.

Since Platner became a candidate, off-color comments affirming racial stereotypes, blaming sexual assault victims and even a tattoo displaying Nazi imagery have fed into Republican criticisms despite his growing momentum.

Scott, while expressing his confidence, said the GOP wouldn’t overlook that momentum either.

“The choice in Maine is clear and nothing will be taken for granted,” Scott said.

Collins last won re-election in a 51.0% to 42.4% victory over Democratic challenger Sarah Gideon in 2020. 

Polls have closed in North Dakota, where voters are choosing nominees in the state’s primary elections and weighing in on a statewide constitutional measure.

The top race on the ballot is the Republican primary for North Dakota’s lone U.S. House seat, where incumbent Rep. Julie Fedorchak is facing a challenge from Alex Balazs. The winner will advance to the November general election against Democrat Trygve Hammer, who ran unopposed in his primary.

Voters are also deciding a proposed constitutional amendment that would limit ballot measures to a single subject.

North Dakota is one of the most reliably Republican states in the country, and the GOP nominee for the at-large House seat will be heavily favored in November.

Rep. Nancy Mace has conceded her bid for the Republican nomination for South Carolina governor, endorsing state Attorney General Alan Wilson as he heads into a run-off against Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, who is endorsed by President Donald Trump.

“Tonight, I want you to know that I’m going to endorse Alan Wilson for governor,” Mace told supporters on election night. “I want a law and order governor, and that law and order governor is going to be Alan Wilson.”

Evette is generally perceived as a business-oriented Republican, whereas Wilson has been portrayed more as a conservative culture warrior.

“Nancy and I had a long conversation over the last couple of weeks and while things got really tough there in the early days, we came to an understanding, we buried our hatchet, we got past our differences, which is what you have to do as a leader in government,” Wilson said of Mace’s endorsement. “When you have a difference with somebody and you feel people hating you, or you hating them, you have to rise above it for the greater good, to serve the people.”

“Nancy Mace and I were able to do that,” he added.

Former George W. Bush aide Ari Fleischer said Democrats’ lurch to the “freakazoid left has been astounding” – in that they will embrace an oysterman with a Nazi tattoo for Senate and commit on a presidential debate stage to support allowing biological males to compete in women’s sports.

“They all on the presidential stage [also] raised their hand to say yes, I will decriminalize crossing the border. All the positions that they take come back to haunt them. But they can't stop themselves from taking these left-wing positions,” Fleischer told “Hannity” on Tuesday.

“[I]n Maine, you also have a guy who said ‘all cops are bastards,’, described himself as a Communist and a socialist, and he is going to be their candidate,” he said referring to Graham Platner.

He also cited a less-publicized new primary winner – Pennsylvania State Rep. Chris Rabb, D-West Oak Lane, who won the Democratic primary over liberal but well-respected state Sen. Sharif Street, D-West Philadelphia, for what is the most partisan Democratic district in the country.

Fleischer said Rabb, an educator, is an avowed socialist, and that collectively such candidates show that the party will continue to have problems with far-leftism.

“The whole energy of the party is now on that freakazoid loony left, and that is going to damage the Democrats, and especially in the presidential elections, but it's going to hurt all their candidates in 2026,” he said.

Former Democratic California Senate Majority Leader Gloria Romero is headed to the general election in November after emerging as one of the top-two vote getters a spot in California's lieutenant governor race.

Romero, who left the Democratic Party in 2024, advanced through California's "jungle primary," where all candidates compete on the same ballot regardless of party and the top two finishers move on to the general election.

Her victory delivers Republicans a high-profile statewide candidate in a state where Democrats have held a firm grip on power for years. Romero campaigned on public safety, education reform and government accountability, positioning herself as a challenger to Sacramento's political establishment.

The former Democratic leader emerged from a crowded field that included several prominent Democrats, including State Treasurer Fiona Ma, former Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs and veterans advocate Josh Fryday.

Romero will now join former Fox News host Steve Hilton on the Republican statewide ticket after Hilton also advanced in California's gubernatorial race.

Stanford University Hoover Institution fellow Victor Davis Hanson sounded off on the state of the Democratic Party’s primary election choices as controversial oysterman Graham Platner surged to win Maine’s contest Tuesday.

Hanson told “Hannity” that primaries don’t typically mean too much because they are often decided by the most fervent base in each party.

However, the tribulations of Platner and Texas state Rep. James Talarico are notable in that their long-term viability is questionable, he said.

“I think there's a lot there that's going to come out [on Platner] and I think that's why the Democratic Party is terrified of some of these candidates because they haven't really exposed them yet because they didn't know whether they're going to win the primaries or not,” he said.

“But now that they're there, they're going to really face scrutiny that they've never been examined in that way before. So I think we should just be patient because I think these people are going to implode.”

He said Democrats are driven by political expediency, noting how their “Me Too” movement evaporated after its tenets were turned on them.

Hanson said Platner is an example of an alleged Me Too violation purveyor and that while Democrats vilified Justice Brett Kavanaugh, they dropped their Me Too guise after former congressional aide Tara Reade came forward with allegations against then-Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del.

“[Me Too] was just dead because it was more important to use Joe Biden as a wax effigy and push this Obama-2.0 agenda… All they care about is whatever it takes, because they feel that they're morally superior to everybody else.”

Rep. Nancy Mace, who represents South Carolina's 1st Congressional District, spent months grabbing headlines, picking fights, and generating controversy in an apparent effort to keep herself at the center of the political conversation.

After opting to seek higher office rather than remain focused on her House seat, Mace launched a high-profile statewide campaign that relied heavily on media attention and provocative political messaging.

From attention-grabbing social media posts to high-profile political stunts, the strategy appeared designed to build momentum, energize supporters, and distinguish herself in a crowded and competitive field. Throughout the race, Mace frequently generated national headlines, positioning herself as one of the most visible candidates in the contest.

But when voters finally had their say, the results told a very different story.

Despite the constant publicity and media attention, Mace's campaign failed to translate visibility into votes, leaving her in fifth place. The outcome raises questions about whether headline-chasing politics can substitute for the harder work of building broad support among constituents.

Democratic Sens. Chuck Schumer and Kristen Gillibrand released a statement celebrating Graham Platner’s primary victory in Maine on Tuesday night.

The duo of powerful New York lawmakers avoided commenting on the myriad controversies facing Platner’s campaign, focusing instead on attacking his opponent, incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins.

“Over the past year, we have created a path to win a Democratic Senate majority and put a stop to the chaos and damage of the Trump administration by defeating the Republicans who enable his harmful agenda,” Schumer and Gillibrand wrote. “Susan Collins has never been more vulnerable after she voted with Trump 96 percent of the time, confirmed his far-right judicial nominees, and took millions from special interests while voting to rip health care away from Mainers.”

“In November, Maine voters will elect Graham Platner, and we will win a Senate majority,” they added.

Platner stands accused of abusing women, getting a Nazi tattoo and making controversial posts on his deleted Reddit account.

Horror novelist Stephen King revealed on social media that he voted for Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Graham Platner in Maine's primary election on Tuesday.

King, a longtime Maine resident, has a track-record of supporting Democratic candidates. He previously endorsed Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Elizabeth Warren and Kamala Harris for their elections.

The bestselling novelist has became one of President Donald Trump's most vocal celebrity critics, having compared Trump's presidency to a "horror story" and suggested that is a threat to democracy.

King's endorsement of Platner, the Democratic Party's frontrunner in Maine, comes as Platner's campaign has been riddled with controversy since the very beginning.

Reports have highlighted past Reddit posts by Platner in which he described himself as a communist and h'e also been scrutinized over one of his tattoos linked to a Nazi SS symbol.

And most recently, Platner has come under fire for using messaging app Kik to send sexually explicit messages to several women shortly after getting married to his wide in 2023.

Despite all of the controversies surrounding Platner, Democratic Party leadership has stood behind Platner in an effort to unseat Sen. Susan Collins, R-Me.,

Polls have closed in Nevada, where voters are choosing nominees in several races that will shape the upcoming 2026 midterm landscape.

Among the key contests on the ballot is the Democratic primary for governor, where Attorney General Aaron Ford is competing for the chance to take on Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo in November. Lombardo is expected to easily clear his own GOP primary.

Republicans are also watching a competitive primary in Nevada’s 3rd Congressional District, where several GOP candidates are vying for the chance to challenge Democratic Rep. Susie Lee in one of the state’s most closely watched House races.

In Nevada’s 2nd Congressional District, Republicans are choosing a nominee for the open seat being vacated by GOP Rep. Mark Amodei. The Silver State is expected to remain one of the nation’s top battlegrounds heading into November.

David Stumbo, a litigator and candidate for attorney general in South Carolina, advanced to a Republican primary runoff on Tuesday evening, where he will face fellow GOP candidate Stephen Goldfinch, a businessman and state legislator.

With no candidate having captured 50% of the vote, the runoff will take place on June 23.

Stumbo, a career prosecutor who has served as solicitor for the Eighth Judicial Circuit of South Carolina since 2012, pitched himself as a seasoned litigator, positioned to readily defend the rule of law.

“Endorsed by Republican sheriffs across South Carolina, he brings real courtroom experience and a results-driven record,” Stumbo wrote on his website.

Goldfinch, Stumbo’s opponent, founded a biotechnology company in Charleston before going on to open his own law firm. Goldfinch would then embark on a political career, winning a seat to the South Carolina House of Representatives in 2012 and then a South Carolina Senate seat in 2016.

He has remained in the role since.

The attorney general vacancy comes as Alan Wilson, South Carolina’s longest-serving attorney general, is stepping down to pursue a bid for governor in the Palmetto state.

A Democratic voter in Maine voiced dissatisfaction with Senate candidate Graham Platner’s alleged treatment of women, expressing doubt that he has become a different person following his controversial past.

“I don’t believe in misogyny or power over women,” Kathleen Leavis, who CNN identified as a Democratic voter, told a reporter on Tuesday. “And although he has said all of those things were in the past, I don’t know if a person can change that much.”

Platner stands accused of emotionally abusing women, physically intimidating at least one ex-girlfriend and making demeaning comments about women. He also has been scrutinized over a Nazi tattoo he got during his time in the armed forces and deleted social media posts that some have found offensive.

"This is the political establishment doing its best to make sure that people like me, who have lived lives that are sometimes flawed, sometimes complicated, they're going to try to send the message that if you ever attempt to get into power, if you ever attempt to advocate for yourself, we will crush you," Platner recently said of the controversy surrounding his candidacy. "This is the political establishment trying to fight back. And they are going to fail."

California Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton spoke on “The Ingraham Angle” after being declared the second of two nominees for the general election .in November through the Golden State’s unique ‘jungle primary’ system.

Hilton, a former top aide to former British Prime Minister David Cameron and a one-time host of Fox News’ “The Next Revolution,” said yes when asked by Laura Ingraham whether he would consider having Los Angeles mayoral hopeful Spencer Pratt campaign with him.

Pratt came in third in Los Angeles’ mayoral primary, but U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli and others are investigating the veracity of Los Angeles County’s tabulation processes after socialist Councilwoman Nithya Raman surged past the reality star.

“You saw how important it is that we try and save California. You've been fantastic. Finally, we get a result. It's only a week after election day: That's fast for California,” Hilton said by phone. 

“The good news is that, we're going to have a chance for change in November; new direction instead of another four years of the insanity.”

Hilton said Pratt has had an “incredible impact” on California politics, calling the Los Angeles race an “absolute travesty.”

“Of course, everyone talks about his amazing campaign ads, and that's true. But they forget that he had incredibly strong substantive policies, especially on homelessness, which I said at the time, that's exactly what we need, not just in L.A., but statewide,” Hilton said.

Environmentalist billionaire Tom Steyer came in third in Hilton’s race and posted a statement considered a concession late Tuesday.

“Change is coming,” Hilton said, expressing hope he can be the first Republican in Sacramento since centrist Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

On Election Day, Hilton nodded to Schwarzenegger as a fellow immigrant-turned-political leader.

Hilton is from Great Britain and Schwarzenegger is from Austria.

Leslie Harlow, the mother of Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner, told supporters at her son’s election night party that she was “very very proud of her son,” but did not offer comments on the array of scandals he faces.

“I am very, very proud of my son,” Harlow said. “I am proud of who he is. I am proud of what he has fought for and for building this movement that all Mainers here are part of.”

She went on to discuss Platner’s deep ties to Maine.

“But with Graham, whether or not it was raking blueberries as a kid, which I will insert, was not his favorite job, or bagging at Hannaford during his high school years, or helping his mother with her various businesses, one of which included making 2000 FedEx boxes for smoked salmon that was being sent out from Sullivan, Maine … he's always loved Maine,” she said. He took a big journey to come back to Maine, but we all know that it's the Maine that he loves.”

Harlow did not, however, mention the allegations of abuse facing her son, the Nazi tattoo he got while in the armed forces or controversial posts on his deleted Reddit account.

“Are we ready for something different? Are we ready for real change that's going to take real work? Are we ready to look at our neighbors?” Platner’s mother asked his supporters. “We don't always agree on political things, but we're going to find a common way to just get things better for all of us.”

Senate Democrats offered mixed reactions when pressed about allegations facing Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner, with many declining to take a firm position and instead saying voters should decide his fate.

Several lawmakers sidestepped questions about whether they believed the women making the allegations, while others stressed that the decision ultimately rests with Maine voters.

One senator called the allegations "troubling and unsettling," while another said there was "no reason to disbelieve" the accusers despite lacking firsthand knowledge of the claims.

Platner has faced growing scrutiny in recent weeks after multiple women accused him of abusive behavior, fueling questions about his candidacy in the closely watched Maine Senate race.

Other Democrats declined comment or shifted focus to policy issues and other races. One senator said voters deserve more answers and clarification before making a judgment.

The responses underscore Democrats' reluctance to weigh in as scrutiny of Platner continues, with many party leaders deferring to Maine voters rather than taking a clear position.

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., declined to answer a series of questions Tuesday about allegations facing Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner, whom the senator has previously campaigned for and continues to support.

As Sanders waited for an elevator at the Capitol, Fox News Digital asked whether he believed the women accusing Platner of abuse and whether he had any comment on allegations that Platner knew about a Nazi-linked tattoo that has become part of a broader controversy surrounding his campaign. Sanders did not respond.

The questions come as Platner faces mounting scrutiny over a series of controversies that have threatened to overshadow his Senate bid.

The Maine Democrat has been accused by multiple women of abusive behavior and has faced criticism over sexually explicit messages, offensive social media posts and allegations involving a Nazi-linked tattoo. Platner has denied wrongdoing and defended himself against the allegations.

Despite the backlash, Platner has retained support from several prominent Democrats, including Sanders, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass.

Maine Democrats headed to the polls Tuesday to determine who will face Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, in November in one of the nation's most closely watched Senate races.

This is an excerpt from a story by Amanda Macias and Hannah Brennan.

The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) released a new ad Tuesday night boosting Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, while attacking Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner over a string of controversies.

The ad contrasts Collins’ upbringing and Senate record with Platner’s background, saying Collins “spent time as a kid picking potatoes in Maine,” while Platner “spent time as a kid at a $70,000 a year prep school in Connecticut.”

The spot also says Collins has brought “more than $1.5 billion back to Maine for hospitals, schools, roads and communities across the state,” while mocking Platner as running “a hobby oyster farm whose only customer is his mother’s restaurant.”

The NRSC ad then pivots to Platner’s controversies, saying Collins “doesn’t have a Nazi tattoo” and “doesn’t have an account on a notorious predator’s paradise app.”

“Graham Platner did for years,” the ad says, before showing an image of Platner's widely-shared shirtless bathroom selfie from the anonymous messaging app he was using.

The Republican campaign arm’s chairman, Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., said in a statement accompanying the ad that “the choice in Maine is clear and nothing will be taken for granted.”

Platner is seeking the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate in Maine for the chance to take on Collins in November. Collins is running unopposed in the GOP primary.

A top Jewish Democrat and member of the House Intelligence Committee called for Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner to exit the race, adding that if the scandal-plagued oyster farmer were running in New Jersey, he would be "buried under the Meadowlands."

Rep. Josh Gottheimer, the subject of a recent profile that compared him to Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and said he wants to be a "bulwark" against Democrats’ newfound leftist impulses, suggested there is no room for Platner on the party’s midterm ticket.

When asked by CNN if his aversion to Platner should be read as a recommendation that Democrats instead vote for moderate Republican Sen. Susan Collins, Gottheimer offered another off-ramp.

"No, what I would suggest is that Graham Platner get off if he wins today, which I assume he will because there's no one actively campaigning against him, that he get off the ballot and let another Democrat step in," Gottheimer said.

Platner is the frontrunner in Tuesday’s primary, as Gov. Janet Mills suspended her campaign and other candidates, including Bangor’s David Costello, have failed to gain traction.

"If this were Jersey and you had a candidate who abused women, obviously has a Nazi tattoo that — now it's clear that he knew was a Nazi tattoo: not to mention many of his other lies and his comments and extremist comments; pro Hamas — a terrorist organization — other things of that nature. He should get off the ballot."

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez , D-N.Y., acknowledged that she was disturbed by the allegations facing Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner, though she declined to denounce him.

"Obviously there's a lot in that behavior that's really challenging — it's hard to stomach,” the congresswoman said. "But, at the end of the day ... if the choice on the ballot is between that and a senator who's voted to take healthcare away from millions of Americans, that's the situation that we have to weigh."

Platner faces an array of scandals surrounding deleted social media posts, a Nazi tattoo he got while serving in the armed forces and his alleged abuse of women. Despite these allegations, a number of prominent progressives — among them Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif. — have remained vocal supporters of Platner.

The Maine Democratic Senate hopeful is seeking to unseat incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins, who is generally viewed as a moderate.

Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner's escalating controversies are showing who Democrats really are, said the Purple Heart recipient whose video of being under siege by the Taliban was disparaged and mocked by the oyster farmer on social media.

Former Pennsylvania lieutenant governor candidate Teddy Daniels told "The Ingraham Angle" on Tuesday that PTSD is no excuse for such invective.

"I don't know a veteran who saw actual combat who came home and didn't deal with some form of PTSD... What I cannot do is excuse that for his poor decisions in life and [his] abhorrent behavior," said Daniels, who also recently ran for sheriff in Dare County on North Carolina's Outer Banks as a Republican.

Daniels said he'd be "highly concerned" if Platner were named to a committee such as the House Foreign Affairs Committee, given his comments and behavior.

He noted Platner also disparaged "American Sniper" Chris Kyle but waited until Kyle died to offer such invective.

"This man hates America," Daniels said.

Daniels said Platner's candidacy is the equivalent of Democrats pulling back the proverbial "curtain" on who they are and what they believe and stand for.

Democratic kingmaker James Clyburn secured his nomination in South Carolina's Democratic primary Tuesday, following months of controversy over Republican-led efforts to redraw the state's map.

Clyburn, 85, has represented South Carolina's 6th Congressional District since 1993 and is seeking reelection to an 18th term. The longtime congressman gained national prominence during the 2020 presidential race when he endorsed Joe Biden ahead of South Carolina's Democratic primary, a move widely credited with helping revive Biden's campaign and secure his path to the White House.

Clyburn's latest victory comes after months of controversy surrounding Republican-led redistricting efforts in South Carolina. GOP lawmakers considered proposals that would have significantly reshaped the boundaries of the state's lone Democratic-held congressional district, a move opponents argued was directly targeting Clyburn. The effort ultimately failed.

Clyburn's challenger, Duke Buckner Goodwin, put up very little fight in the primary race. Goodwin had no campaign website and reported no fundraising during his congressional bid. He also came up short in a run for Santee Town Council last year.

For nearly 20 years, Sen. Lindsey Graham has easily defeated his primary challengers, leading many observers to believe that tonight’s election will be no different.

In 2020, for instance, the South Carolina senator was accused by his primary opponents of having become too much of a Washington insider and of being, in their telling, not conservative enough for South Carolina.

Graham won a commanding victory in 2020, winning the support of roughly 70% of Republicans in South Carolina. The second-place candidate secured just 17% of votes in that election.

As Graham faces five challengers in the 2026 GOP Senate primary, many of the same accusations that were levied against him in 2020 have been resurfaced.

Graham’s other primary victories in South Carolina had similarly wide margins.

In 2014, for instance, the senator won 56% of the vote with his runner-up getting just over 15%. Six years earlier, in 2008, Graham took home roughly 67% of the primary vote

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., is breaking with fellow Democrats over embattled Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner , saying he refuses to defend the rising political star as controversies continue to pile up.

Platner has won national attention for his populist message and outsider image, but his campaign has also faced scrutiny over sexually explicit online messages, offensive social media posts, a Nazi-linked tattoo controversy, and internal campaign turmoil.

While top Democrats including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., have continued to back Platner, Fetterman has emerged as one of his sharpest critics.

"I really would encourage 'P Hustle' to answer basic questions," Fetterman told Fox News Digital, using Platner's former online alias.

The Pennsylvania senator questioned Platner's years-long activity on Kik and accused him of dodging concerns about his online conduct.

"'P Hustle' has a lot of serious questions and concerns about his judgment, but also his ethics too," Fetterman said.

Fetterman later summed up his view of the candidate in blunt terms.

"You know, candidates have baggage. In his case, he is baggage that incidentally might be a candidate," he said. "I'll be the one Democrat to refuse to defend that mess."

This is an excerpt from a story by Amanda Macias and Hannah Brennan.

Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, battled Southern Poverty Law Center interim President Bryan Fair over Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner's Totenkopf tattoo on Tuesday.

Gill pressed Fair on two public figures with notable chest tattoos, contrasting the treatment of Secretary of War Pete Hegseth's Jerusalem Cross with Platner's ink, which is more commonly associated with German death camp guards.

"We oppose Nazis," Fair said of the SPLC.

When Gill asked whether someone getting such a tattoo is indicative of them being an actual Nazi, Fair demurred.

Fair said Gill should ask Platner for a true explanation.

When Gill asked whether Platner should serve in the Senate given the controversial ink, Fair remarked, "I wouldn't vote for that person."

RealClearPolitics founder Tom Bevan told "Special Report" later Tuesday that Fair's performance was one of the worst he has seen from a hearing witness.

Fair was "roughed up" repeatedly by Republicans and had no answers for allegations related to the funding of the Alabama-based watchdog organization, which critics have labeled a hate group.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., said Tuesday that Maine voters will have the final say when asked about controversies surrounding Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner as voters cast ballots in the state’s primary.

“Personally, I don’t think that folks are ignoring it,” Ocasio-Cortez said in a CBS News video posted to X. “And also, I think that this is, frankly, an election for the people of Maine.”

“So, you know, their results and the ways that they turn out today will speak for themselves and their preferences,” she continued. “But certainly, you know, I think again, it’s an election. It’s up to the people of Maine and the choices they have before them.”

Platner is running in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate in Maine for the chance to take on longtime Republican Sen. Susan Collins in November. His campaign has faced scrutiny over past online comments, sexually explicit messages, allegations from former romantic partners and a chest tattoo that was identified as resembling a Nazi symbol. Platner has denied or sought to address the controversies publicly, and the tattoo has since been covered up.

The Maine race is one of Democrats’ top pickup opportunities as the party seeks to win back control of the Senate. Collins, a moderate Republican seeking another term, is running unopposed in the GOP primary.

Miami Republican Committeewoman Angie Wong suggested on X that it's possible that the Maine Democratic Party may replace Graham Platner with a more women-friendly candidate as the party's nomination — a similar to the move national Democrats made during the 2024 election.

"Graham Platner is bleeding support among Maine’s female voters," Wong posted on X. "Even if he wins tonight’s primary election, he may not survive the November election against Susan Collins. There is a strong possibility that Democrats could pull a “Joe Biden” and replace him with a “Kamala” i.e.  Governor Janet Mills."

During a Newsmax appearance, Wong shared that some Republican party activists are speculating about the possibility of Democrats making a late change to their nominee and that Platner may face internal pressure to step down.

Wong argued that female voters could ultimately determine the outcome of the race, arguing that Republican Sen. Susan Collins continues to maintain appeal among moderates and independents.

Maine Democrats have until July 13 to change its Senate nomination.

A former campaign staffer for Graham Platner is speaking out against his U.S. Senate bid in Maine ahead of primary elections on Tuesday evening, citing comments that led her to part ways with the campaign.

Genevieve McDonald, who worked briefly as Platner’s campaign director last year, said she was forced away by a Reddit post where Platner said that rural Americans are “racist” and “stupid" along with off-color comments about sexual assault and "feigned ignorance" about a Nazi symbol Platner had tattooed on his chest.

McDonald’s discomfort illustrates her fears that Platner’s many controversial comments will turn away voters who would otherwise support a Democratic candidate as the party look to unseat incumbent Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine.

She recalled feeling misled by Platner’s characterization of his past.

"I realized the campaign had not been honest with me," McDonald wrote in an opinion article with The Washington Post. "As someone from a real working-class background, I knew this would undermine his cross-party appeal."

McDonald called on Democrats to explore candidates of stronger repute.

"If America wants a stronger democracy, elevating leaders with integrity is essential. Leaders with sound judgment and ethics. Leaders who embrace and live the ideals the nation stands for."

"If America wants a stronger democracy, elevating leaders with integrity is essential. Leaders with sound judgment and ethics. Leaders who embrace and live the ideals the nation stands for."

Rep. Nancy Mace, who is running for governor of South Carolina, claims that President Donald Trump refused to endorse her because she sought to have more files related to infamous pedophile Jeffrey Epstein released to the public.

“You know, I knew it was on the line when I voted to release the Epstein files,” Mace said when asked about the endorsement by Fox News Digital. “I’m a survivor. If the price to pay for an endorsement was to not release those files, I would never pay it.”

“I disagree with this endorsement, and I’m going to vote for myself. I’m asking voters in South Carolina to vote for me as well,” she added.

Mace, who has accused her ex-fiancé of sexually assaulting her, has recently launched a crusade against what she says is a culture of rampant sexual abuse in the nation’s capital.

Trump ultimately endorsed Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette to succeed Gov. Henry McMaster, who is term limited.

Mace has a history of crossing Trump then working to reenter his good graces.

President Donald Trump threw his support behind the incumbent lieutenant governors of Nevada and Idaho, issuing endorsements for both Republicans as they seek re-election.

In a Truth Social post, Trump praised Nevada Lt. Gov. Stavros Anthony, calling him “a fantastic Lieutenant Governor for the Great People of Nevada” and offering his “Complete and Total Endorsement” for another term.

Anthony quickly welcomed the endorsement, thanking Trump on social media and writing that he looked forward to seeing the president during an upcoming visit to Las Vegas.

Trump also endorsed Idaho Lt. Gov. Scott Bedke, describing him as “a tremendous Lieutenant Governor of Idaho” while noting his past electoral victories in the state. The president similarly offered Bedke his “Complete and Total Endorsement” for re-election.

The endorsements add to Trump’s growing list of endorsements for Republican state officials ahead of the 2026 election cycle. Last year, he also endorsed Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo and Idaho Gov. Brad Little as both prepared for their own re-election campaigns.

Trump’s endorsements remain highly influential in Republican primaries and are often viewed as a significant boost for candidates seeking statewide office.

The announcements come as Republicans continue preparing for a busy 2026 election cycle, with gubernatorial, congressional and statewide races across the country expected to play a major role in shaping the political landscape heading into the second half of Trump’s second term.

Maine Republican state Rep. Katrina Smith is adding her voice to the growing list of Maine politicians criticizing Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Graham Platner, saying it's "incredibly embarrassing" that his name is even on the ballot.

Smith told Newsmax's Bianca de la Garza that it is "incredibly embarrassing for us" that Democrats continue to stand behind Platner, who is at the center of a sexting scandal involving Kik, an app that has been used by child predators.

The sexually charged messages between Platner and multiple women date back to 2023, shortly after he married his wife, Amy Gertner, who later discovered the messages and reported them to Platner's campaign.

"They’re making excuses for Graham Platner," Smith said of Platner's Democratic supporters. "Excuses after excuses."

On Monday night, Sen. Bernie Sanders , I-Vt., stated that he "will do everything I can to make sure Graham Platner is the next senator from Maine."

Smith argued that Platner's personal conduct raises broader concerns about his ability to serve Maine voters. "How can we expect him to have our backs when he's only trying to protect his?" she said.

Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., tore into South Carolina Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette on Tuesday, accusing her Republican gubernatorial opponent of failing to forcefully condemn the alleged assault of a Mace supporter by a member of Evette’s campaign.

“Pamela Evette is a disgrace,” Mace said in a video posted to X a few hours before the polls closed in a heated GOP gubernatorial primary in South Carolina. Mace alleged that one of her supporters was physically assaulted Monday night by a member of Evette’s campaign and claimed the incident was caught on video.

“She could have condemned this last night — she did not. She could have condemned this this morning — she did not,” Mace said. “She waited to say anything until it was found out that there was a tape of the assault of one of my supporters. That is not courage, that is cowardice.”

The comments came as South Carolina voters cast ballots in a heated GOP gubernatorial primary to replace term-limited Gov. Henry McMaster.

Evette has been endorsed by President Donald Trump and McMaster, while Mace has sought to position herself as a conservative fighter and anti-establishment alternative.

Mace argued Evette’s response to the alleged incident was “disqualifying,” saying political violence must be condemned across the board.

“I don’t even think she qualifies to be in the lieutenant governor’s seat,” Mace said. “I think this kind of behavior and lack of moral courage to condemn political violence is disqualifying for anyone running for office anywhere.”

Rep. Mark Amodei, R-Nev., announced that he will retire from Congress at the end of his current term, bringing to a close more than 15 years in the House.

“Serving the people of Nevada has been the honor of my lifetime,” Amodei said in a statement. “After 15 years of service, I believe it is the right time for Nevada and myself to pass the torch.”

Amodei said he plans to complete his term, which runs through January 2027, and emphasized that his decision was personal rather than political. He thanked constituents for the opportunity to represent Nevada and said he remains focused on finishing his work in Congress.

The veteran lawmaker represents Nevada’s 2nd Congressional District, a Republican-leaning seat that covers much of northern Nevada, including Reno. He has consistently won re-election by comfortable margins and defeated his Democratic challenger by 19 points in 2024.

Amodei currently chairs the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security, giving him a key role in overseeing funding for the Department of Homeland Security. He was first elected to Congress in 2011 and has built a reputation as a reliable conservative voice on Capitol Hill.

His retirement creates an open-seat race in Nevada’s 2nd District ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. Republicans remain confident they can hold the seat, which is considered safely Republican and which Trump carried by double digits in 2024.

Amodei's announcement adds to a broader exodus from the House ahead of the 2026 midterms, with more than 20 Republicans already opting to retire or seek other offices rather than run for reelection.

Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., fleshed out his support for U.S. Senate candidate Graham Platner in a video posted to X on Tuesday afternoon, saying the two share a passion for “opposing war.”

“You know Trump ran, saying he wasn’t going to get in these wars, then he starts this war in Iran,” Khanna said.

Khanna’s support comes as Platner looks to officially become the Democratic nominee to take on incumbent Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and furthers opposition to overseas entanglements as a position progressive candidates have used to contrast with Trump.

“If the Democratic Party is going to exist, it needs to become the anti-war party,” Platner said in Khanna’s video.

“I had frankly witnessed the most awful things a person can see, and it was all done in the service of seemingly nothing.”

Platner has attracted support from a wide range of progressives in Congress despite a series of scandals that have followed his campaign.

Among them, Platner enjoys the backing of Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass.

South Carolina Rep. Nancy Mace on Tuesday resurfaced a clip of her fiery 2024 interview with George Stephanopoulos on ABC’s “This Week,” in which she sparred with the host over sexual assault and her support for President Donald Trump.

In the video, Mace accused Stephanopoulos of “shaming” her for endorsing Trump, who was found liable by a jury in 2023 for sexual abuse.

“I was raped at the age of 16,” Mace said. “It’s a shame that you will never feel, George. And I’m not going to sit here on your show and be asked a question meant to shame me about another potential rape victim. I’m not going to do that.”

While Stephanopoulos maintained that his questioning was not intended to “shame” her, he continued asking for clarification, a line of questioning Mace called “disgusting.”

Following the interview, Mace addressed the exchange on social media, calling it “inaccurate questioning about President Trump” and saying it pushed a “false narrative.”

Mace, who is running in South Carolina’s Republican gubernatorial race, is facing multiple candidates in a crowded primary, including Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, who has secured Trump’s endorsement.

North Dakota voters head to the polls Tuesday to choose nominees in several races, including the state's lone U.S. House seat.

Republican Rep. Julie Fedorchak is seeking re-election and faces a primary challenge from Alex Balazs in a rematch of their 2024 contest. The winner will advance to November's general election.

On the Democratic side, Trygve Hammer is expected to again carry the Democratic-NPL banner. Hammer, a former teacher and military veteran, won the Democratic congressional primary in 2024 before advancing to the general election, where he lost to Fedorchak in the heavily Republican state.

North Dakota's at-large congressional district has been firmly in Republican hands for years. Fedorchak won the state's open House seat in 2024 after former Rep. Kelly Armstrong ran for governor, defeating Hammer in the general election.

Tuesday's primary will help set the stage for another House showdown in November as Republicans work to defend their narrow House majority and Democrats look for opportunities to compete in traditionally red states.

Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, on Tuesday raised questions about Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner during a fiery hearing involving a civil rights group that officials alleged has ties to extremist organizations.

Bryan Fair, the interim CEO of the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), appeared before the House Judiciary Committee in Washington as lawmakers examined allegations involving federal fraud and ties to neo-Nazi and white supremacist organizations.

During the hearing, lawmakers referenced Platner’s Nazi-linked tattoo resembling a Totenkopf — SS “death’s head” — which the Democratic nominee has said he received without understanding its origins.

Gill questioned Fair on whether Platner’s tattoo suggested ties to extremist groups.

"Do you think if somebody got a Nazi tattoo on their chest, that's indicative that they might be a Nazi?” Gill asked.

“You'd have to ask Mr. Platner why he has that symbol,” Fair answered. “I'd like to say that if it is a symbol of Nazism, we oppose Nazi.”

“You think that somebody who has a Nazi tattoo on their chest should serve in the United States Senate?” Gill added.

“I wouldn’t vote for that person,” Fair said.

Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Tuesday blasted Maine Democratic Senate nominee Graham Platner as voters headed to the polls in the state’s primary.

The former Trump administration official urged Maine voters to exercise “good judgment,” describing Platner as unfit for the U.S. Senate.

“Graham Platner has no place in the United States Senate,” Pompeo said in a post on X. “I pray that the good people of Maine have the good judgment to keep him as far from the halls of power as possible.”

Platner, a Marine Corps veteran, has been widely viewed as the presumptive Democratic frontrunner in the race but has faced intense criticism from Republicans throughout the campaign amid a series of personal and political controversies.

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., appeared in a campaign video posted by Graham Platner on Tuesday ahead of Maine’s Senate primary, urging voters to turn out in support of the presumptive Democratic nominee.

Sanders, who has endorsed Platner, said the candidate is key to fighting what he described as entrenched financial interests in politics, according to the video posted on X.

“In American politics right now, the oligarchs have unlimited amounts of money,” Sanders said. “But there's one thing they do not have that money can never buy. They do not have the people. They cannot put together enthusiastic grassroots organizations. That’s what Graham Platner is doing. Please come out and vote.”

“I am very proud to have Senator Sanders' support,” Platner added. “But we need your support too. It is only in each other that we’re going to find the power to take back our politics in this country.”

Platner, who has aligned himself with Sanders’ democratic socialist movement, has leaned heavily into anti-corporate messaging and sought to mobilize progressive activists throughout his campaign.

Maine Gov. Janet Mills was spotted at a polling location in Waterville on Tuesday ahead of the state's Democratic Senate primary, where her name remains on the ballot alongside frontrunner Graham Platner despite suspending her campaign earlier this year.

According to a video posted on X, Mills appeared at the site while accompanying her friend, former Maine state Rep. Hannah Pingree, who is running for governor.

In the video, Mills declined to comment on the state's key races but said she planned to return to her hometown of Farmington to cast her vote.

Mills, who is barred from seeking another term as governor under Maine's term-limit laws, previously entered the Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate seat before suspending her campaign.

A source in Mills' broader political orbit confirmed to Fox News last week that the governor had received calls urging her to reenter the race amid controversies surrounding Platner.

Mills said in a recent interview that her name remains on the ballot, but there has been no active effort to revive her campaign.

The two-term governor, who was backed by Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and much of the Democratic establishment, dropped out of the race earlier this spring after significantly trailing Platner in both fundraising and polling.

Platner, a Marine Corps veteran, has been widely viewed as the presumptive Democratic nominee despite facing a series of controversies. Backed by progressive figures including Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., he faces two long-shot challengers in Tuesday's primary.

Fox News Digital's Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, told reporters on Capitol Hill on Tuesday that "the allegations against Graham Platner are extremely troubling and serious."

"And he owes the people of Maine a detailed answer and I haven't heard that yet," Collins added.

Voters are heading to the polls in Maine on Tuesday, where Platner is seeking to become the Democratic Senate nominee to challenge Collins in November.

"We're a long ways before the election. Today is primary day. Let's see what happens in the primaries," Collins also said.

Fox News' James Levinson contributed to this post.

Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., claimed Tuesday that an employee of rival South Carolina gubernational candidate Pamela Evette’s campaign “physically assaulted a supporter of mine last night” and that “the violent offender was arrested.” 

“This is not the appropriate behavior of a sitting Lt. Governor or anyone wishing to become Governor. Pam needs to disavow this right now, fire the individual and apologize to the young man who was assaulted,” Mace wrote on X. 

Mace’s campaign released a statement saying “Blake Garrison Kirsch, a member of Evette’s campaign,” was taken into custody “on charges of Assault & Battery 3rd Degree after physically attacking a Mace supporter.” The campaign cited Greenville County court records for Kirsch’s arrest. 

“Mace’s supporter was attending a campaign event when Kirsch allegedly carried out the attack. Kirsch was arrested the same day,” the Mace campaign said.  

The congresswoman reposted a video on X purportedly showing a man walking up to another individual who was speaking into a megaphone near an Evette campaign bus. The man then tries to grab the megaphone away from him and a struggle ensues. 

In a statement to Fox News Digital, campaign manager Megan Finnern said, "Our team is deeply disappointed that this occurred."

"We support free speech and do not in any way condone violence. He is not, and has never been, employed by the Evette campaign," she added.

Kirsch was described as a volunteer on the Evette finance committee who has since voluntarily resigned.

Images are emerging Tuesday showing voters heading to the polls in Maine for primary elections. 

Graham Platner is seeking to become the Democratic Senate nominee and challenge longtime Republican Sen. Susan Collins later this year. 

Platner is facing scrutiny of his past conduct, with controversies ranging from sexually explicit messages and offensive social media posts to a Nazi-linked tattoo and campaign staff upheaval. 

Fox News Digital's Amanda Macias contributed to this post. 

Graham Platner shouldn't be elected to represent Maine in the U.S. Senate, a former high-level staffer for the embattled Democratic candidate told voters just hours before polls opened in the state's Tuesday primary.

Genevieve McDonald, once a Maine state representative who worked briefly as Platner's campaign director last year, warned in an op/ed in The Washington Post on Monday evening: "Graham Platner is not someone who would be good for Maine or for the country."

While she overlooked his Nazi-linked tattoo and possible cheating scandal, McDonald said in the piece titled "I know firsthand why Graham Platner shouldn't be a U.S. senator" that she couldn't ignore how "he exhibits a pattern of dishonest behavior," and ultimately quit the campaign after just two months.

"I was one of the Platner campaign’s first gaslighting casualties," she wrote.

McDonald said she was "disturbed" by what she learned during her time on his staff from August to October 2025.

"If America wants a stronger democracy, elevating leaders with integrity is essential," she wrote in the opinion piece. "Leaders with sound judgment and ethics. Leaders who embrace and live the ideals the nation stands for."

Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner, in a message asking voters for their support, wrote on X Tuesday that “Meeting all of you has been the honor of a lifetime.” 

Polls are currently open across Maine until 8 p.m. ET. 

Platner has been considered the all-but-certain Democratic nominee after two-term Gov. Janet Mills, who was backed by longtime Senate Democratic Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer and the Democratic Party establishment, dropped out of the race earlier this spring after significantly trailing Platner in fundraising and polling. 

He's facing two long-shot rivals for the nomination in Tuesday's primary, but Mills' name remains on the ballot, which she highlighted in a recent interview. A source in Mills' wider political orbit confirmed to Fox News last week that the governor was receiving calls urging her to get back in the race amid Platner's controversies. But there's no active campaign effort on behalf of Mills. 

Fox News' Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report. 

South Carolina Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette said Tuesday that President Donald Trump “needs a strong partner as Governor who will deliver on our conservative America First agenda.” 

“It's why he gave me his ‘complete and total endorsement,’” she added in a post on Election Day urging voters to head to the polls in South Carolina’s Republican gubernatorial primary. 

Evette is seeking to succeed a top Trump ally, term-limited Republican Gov. Henry McMaster.  

She is facing off in the GOP primary against a handful of top rivals. They are longtime South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson, nationally known Rep. Nancy Mace, Rep. Ralph Norman and multimillionaire businessman Rom Reddy. 

After Trump backed Evette, Mace said that her very vocal push last year for the Justice Department to release the files related to its probe into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein contributed to the president's backing of her rival. 

Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report. 

LEWISTON, ME - As Maine voters head to the polls Tuesday to nominate a Democratic Senate candidate, a Republican lawmaker in the state says that Maine voters should be most concerned with the policies of Graham Platner, even though his political baggage has received most of the attention. 

"His personal life is a mess, right?" Maine Republican State Representative Laurel Libby told Fox News Digital on Monday. "We understand that. We've seen scandal after scandal come out. But what I think is incredibly dangerous are the policies that he's looking to advance."

Libby, who represents Maine House District 90, which encompasses Minot and part of Auburn, said one of the policies she is most concerned about is Platner’s support of the progressive "Green New Deal," sweeping legislation that would cost taxpayers tens of trillions of dollars and phase out fossil fuel production. 

"Taking the extreme green agenda to DC that has already made our cost of electricity skyrocket in our state under Democrat leadership for the last eight years," Libby said. "If we see that implemented in D.C., and we see costs increase across the country, it won't just be crushing Mainers, it will be crushing American families and workers across the board."

Libby told Fox News Digital that it "doesn’t surprise me" Democrats are poised to nominate Platner, despite his laundry list of controversies that critics have seized on, because Maine has been led by the "same kind of extremism" for eight years as the party controls the governor’s mansion and legislature. 

"We have seen 32 new or increased taxes, we’ve seen all of our overall cost of living increase and so Graham Platner has sprung out of that and is looking to take those same policies to D.C., harming not just Mainers but folks across the country," Libby said. "I think he's tremendously dangerous, and we can't have him in the Senate."

Fox News Digital's Kiera McDonald contributed to this report.

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, repeatedly declined to weigh in on Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner's sexting controversy last week, opting to keep her distance from the escalating scandal as Maine voters head to the polls Tuesday.

"I really have nothing to add to it," Collins told Fox News Digital when asked about the allegations surrounding Platner, the Democratic frontrunner and her presumed opponent.

Collins reiterated that position when pressed further, declining multiple opportunities to comment as scrutiny surrounding Platner intensified ahead of the Democratic primary.

"As I said to you earlier, I do not have anything to add to this," Collins said.

Collins' refusal to engage comes as Republicans have increasingly made Platner's controversies a central line of attack ahead of the primary. Outside organizations backing Collins have aired ads and amplified criticism of the Maine Democrat, while the senator herself has largely avoided publicly weighing in despite being expected to face him in November’s midterms.

Collins' recent reluctance to comment differs from her earlier remarks about Platner. Last month, she criticized the Democratic candidate when speaking to Fox News Digital after he mocked a wounded U.S. soldier.

"It’s never appropriate to mock a downed American soldier," Collins said to Fox News Digital last month. "It’s just appalling."

Polls are now open Tuesday in Maine’s three largest cities – Portland, Lewiston and Bangor – as voters across the state are deciding the fate of Graham Platner, the Democratic Senate candidate who is aiming to oust longtime Republican Sen. Susan Collins. 

Collins is a moderate who is running for a sixth six-year term in the Senate and has a history of voting against President Donald Trump's agenda. 

Polls will remain open across Maine until 8 p.m. ET. 

Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report. 

As Primary Day arrives in Maine, Democratic candidate Graham Platner is facing arguably the roughest stretch to date of his campaign for the U.S. Senate, amid a slew of controversies that have been dominating the political spotlight.

Platner has been considered the all-but-certain Democratic nominee in Maine after two-term Gov. Janet Mills, who was backed by longtime Senate Democratic Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer and the Democratic Party establishment, dropped out of the race earlier this spring after significantly trailing Platner in fundraising and polling.

Platner, who is supported by progressive champions including Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, is facing two long-shot rivals for the nomination in Tuesday's primary. But Mills' name remains on the ballot, which she highlighted in a recent interview.

A source in Mills' wider political orbit confirmed to Fox News last week that the governor was receiving calls urging her to get back in the race amid Platner's controversies. But there's no active campaign effort on behalf of Mills.

As votes are counted after polls close at 8pm ET, keep a close eye on how Mills performs.

A strong showing for the two-term governor could potentially renew calls for Platner to step aside.

But a big night for Platner could help him shift the spotlight off his political baggage.

until Republicans relentlessly go after him.

One week after President Donald Trump's endorsement-winning streak in high-profile Republican primaries was snapped, the president's immense clout over his party is facing another key test in South Carolina's GOP gubernatorial nomination face-off.

The president, a week and a half ago, handed Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette 11th-hour support as she seeks to succeed a top Trump ally, term-limited Republican Gov. Henry McMaster.

Evette is facing off in the GOP primary against a handful of top rivals. They are longtime South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson, nationally known Rep. Nancy Mace, Rep. Ralph Norman and multimillionaire businessman Rom Reddy.

Since no candidate was expected to top 50% of the primary vote and land a majority, the top two finishers will advance to the June 23 Republican runoff.

The brute force of the president's endorsement power has been on display in GOP primaries over the past month, with his candidates ousting incumbents he targeted in showdowns in Indiana, Louisiana, Kentucky and Texas that grabbed plenty of national attention.

But his last minute endorsement of Republican Rep. Randy Feenstra of Iowa — which came on the same day he also backed Evette — in the race to succeed retiring GOP Gov. Kim Reynolds wasn't enough to muscle the three-term congressman to victory.

Feenstra was narrowly edged by Zach Lahn, a businessman, farmer and former political strategist who was backed by the political wings of MAHA — the acronym for the Make America Healthy Again movement aligned with Trump Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — and Turning Point USA, the powerful conservative organization co-founded by the late Charlie Kirk.

In the South Carolina GOP gubernatorial primary, the major contenders had long been highlighting their support for Trump and his agenda, in hopes of landing his support.

Trump, after staying neutral for months, endorsed Evette, praising her as an "America First Patriot" and a "WINNER" in his announcement.

And the president headlined a tele-rally for Evette on the eve of the primary.

But Trump, in a social media post endorsing Evette, also said he expected Evette to choose Henry McMaster Jr., the governor's son, as her running mate for lieutenant governor.

The comment by the president led to blowback in South Carolina political circles and speculation that McMaster, who succeeded then-Gov. Nikki Haley when she stepped down to serve as U.N. ambassador during Trump's first term and who is in his 10th year as governor, was trying to give his son a political boost.

But McMaster denied any deal or pressure, and Evette has said she wouldn't name any running mate until after the primary is over.

And on Friday, the younger McMaster took his name out of contention, saying it was "incredibly humbling" to be mentioned as a possible lieutenant governor candidate, but that "now is simply not the right time."

BANGOR, Maine — It's judgment day for Graham Platner, the embattled Democratic Senate candidate in left-leaning Maine who is aiming to oust longtime Republican Sen. Susan Collins in a crucial race that's among a handful that will determine if the GOP holds its slim Senate majority in the midterm elections.

Platner, an oyster farmer and military combat veteran who is backed by Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and other top progressive champions, is facing a slew of controversies, which could make his expected Democratic primary victory in Maine much more interesting than originally expected.

Platner has been playing defense the past month, amid mounting controversy. It includes inflammatory online comments made on Reddit, a well-publicized and now covered-up tattoo on his chest that resembled a Nazi symbol, recent reports that he exchanged sexually explicit messages with several women while married, and new allegations last week from ex-girlfriends of a history of rape fantasies, heavy drinking and violent episodes. Platner has called the latest allegations of violence untrue.

Meanwhile, one week after President Donald Trump's endorsement-winning streak in high-profile Republican primaries was snapped, the president's immense clout over his party is facing another key test in South Carolina's GOP gubernatorial nomination face-off.

The president, a week and a half ago, handed Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette 11th-hour support as she seeks to succeed a top Trump ally, term-limited Republican Gov. Henry McMaster.

Evette is facing off in the GOP primary against a handful of top rivals. They are longtime South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson, nationally known Rep. Nancy Mace, Rep. Ralph Norman and multimillionaire businessman Rom Reddy.

Read the full story here