Graham Platner’s 2026 U.S. Senate campaign in Maine has been dominated by controversy, with Republican incumbent Susan Collins and her allies pressing attacks over a tattoo he received in 2007 that resembled a Totenkopf, a skull-and-bones symbol associated with Nazi troops during World War II. Platner has said he did not know the meaning of the tattoo at the time and later had it covered. The issue drew criticism from some Democrats as well, including Massachusetts Rep. Jake Auchincloss, who said he found Platner’s tattoo and explanations disqualifying and declined to endorse him.
Platner has also faced scrutiny over alleged sexting behavior and old Reddit posts. A Wall Street Journal report in May 2026 said he had a Kik account that was allegedly used to exchange sexually explicit messages with women. His wife, Amy Gertner, reportedly raised concerns about the messages with campaign staff. Gertner later defended her husband publicly, saying their marriage had weathered serious challenges, including fertility struggles, and that their relationship had grown stronger.
The candidate, an oyster farmer and lifelong Mainer from Sullivan, served in the Marine Corps and completed three combat tours in Iraq. He has said the tattoo was obtained while on leave in Croatia with other Marines and that he later came to understand why it was offensive. Platner also drew backlash for past Reddit comments, including a particularly harsh remark about a U.S. soldier under fire in Afghanistan. Collins said she was offended by the comments, while Platner argued that criticism of his respect for veterans was unfair given his infantry service.
On the campaign trail, Platner has taken an aggressively anti-Trump stance. He has promised to investigate the Trump administration, accused it of corruption and illegal conduct, and said he would push Senate subpoenas and oversight if elected. He has also called for accountability over immigration enforcement and military actions, and has suggested that Trump may have committed impeachable offenses, though he said impeachment should not be pursued if conviction is impossible.
Platner has also embraced more sweeping structural changes to government. He has said there is a compelling case for removing conservative Supreme Court Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito and has left open the possibility of expanding the size of the Supreme Court.
A major personal moment came in January 2026, when Platner paused his campaign so he could travel with Gertner for IVF treatment in Norway. He said the experience reinforced his support for universal health care and fertility coverage, citing the high cost of treatment in the United States. Platner has positioned himself as aligned with Bernie Sanders’ progressive politics, and Sanders endorsed his campaign in August 2025, underscoring Platner’s effort to present himself as a left-wing populist challenger in a high-profile Senate race.
