Graham Platner maintains big lead over Janet Mills in Maine senate race, new poll finds

[Celerity]

Platner, a progressive upstart, has a 64% to 26% lead over Maine Gov. Janet Mills in the Democratic Senate primary, according to a new UNH poll.

https://www.boston.com/news/local-news/2026/02/24/platner-maintains-big-lead-over-mills-in-maine-senate-race-new-poll-finds/

Graham Platner, the progressive oyster farmer running for Senate in Maine, is maintaining a large lead over Maine Gov. Janet Mills in the Democratic primary, according to new poll results released Tuesday. What’s more, Platner is leading Sen. Susan Collins, the Republican incumbent, in a hypothetical general election matchup.

About 64% of likely Democratic primary voters would support Platner if the election were held now, compared to just 26% who say the same for Mills, according to a new poll from the University of New Hampshire.

Platner leads Collins, 49% to 38%, in the general election. On the other hand, a general election battle between Mills and Collins is projected to be a tossup: Mills leads Collins 41% to 40%, the UNH poll found.

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Among likely Democratic primary voters, 71% have a favorable opinion of Platner, compared to 51% who say the same about Mills, according to the UNH poll. Platner has a strong base of support among self-described socialists and progressive. He is also winning over moderates: 53% say that they would vote for Platner, compared to 32% who support Mills. The two candidates are evenly split among those who self-identify as liberals.

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