Dem
47
GOP
53
Graham Platner, the oysterman who is running for the Senate in Maine, has picked up support from three senators who will be his colleagues if he wins the primary against Gov. Janet Mills (D-ME) and then defeats Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME). The three senators are Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Martin Heinrich (D-NM) and Bernie Sanders (I-VT). Platner, 41, is arguing for generational change. Gallego is 46 and Heinrich is 54, so they agree. Sanders is a tad older at 84. If Sanders were serious about generational change, he wouldn't have run for another 6-year term in 2024. He will be 89 at the end of this term, if he makes it. If he doesn't, Gov. Phil Scott (R-VT) or his successor will get to appoint a new senator until a special election is held. Scott has said he would appoint an independent if he got the chance, but one has to assume it would not be a Bernie clone. Maybe a Joe Manchin clone. Running in 2024 was rolling the dice.
Platner is a progressive, well to the left of the moderate Mills. The most recent poll of the Maine primary has Platner up 46% to 39%. Platner also does well in the general election polls, leading Collins 44% to 40%. A Mills-Collins matchup is a tie at 44% each. Still, in all cases there are many voters who are undecided.
Platner has some baggage not involved with oysters. Among other things, he has said Black people don't tip, called some Reddit users retarded, and said cops are bastards. He also implied that if a woman is raped, it is her own fault. (V)