Platner should leave the campaign immediately.

[MineralMan]

Insisting that the complaints against you are false will not work. Even if they are false. It is too late in this game for bravado. You're done.

That said, he should never have started it. If he did the things he has been accused of, he should have known they'd come back to bite him on the ass. They always do. So, his running would be a mistake in the first place.

Can Maine Democrats come up with a replacement? No doubt, but will that be enough? Probably not. Susan Collins has won her seat several times, already. At this point, she'll probably win it again.

More's the pity, to say the least.

My advice: If you have ugly shit in your history, don't run for office. It will come out. If you've hurt someone in the past, that person will remember it and bring it up at the worst possible time for you. And that person will have every right to do so. The pain you cause will often come back to hurt you.

It's a sad, sad business, politics.

[BeyondGeography]

1. In fairness

Last edited Tue Jul 7, 2026, 10:44 AM - Edit history (1)

He was too drunk to remember any of it.

But, yeah, total train wreck. I was holding my nose like a lot of other people because the gerontological alternative struck me as politically tone deaf. His replacement should be a credible bearer of his message which is why he got as far as he did in the first place.

[SSJVegeta]

3. David Costello

And it just so happens:

Yes, David Costello’s political platform closely aligns with Graham Platner’s, as both candidates ran on progressive and populist agendas aimed at structural reform. In fact, during the primary, Costello stated that he would ultimately support Platner because of their shared goals. [1, 2, 3]
While their core values match, they differ slightly in tone, background, and specific policy details.
## Key Alignments

* Healthcare: Both strongly advocate for universal healthcare and a "Medicare-for-All" single-payer system to lower prescription costs and eliminate private insurance monopolies. [1, 4, 5, 6, 7]
* Labor and Wages: Both candidates aggressively support labor unions, the passage of the federal PRO Act, and raising the federal minimum wage to a living standard. [4, 8]
* Tribal Sovereignty: Both explicitly champion granting full, true self-determination and sovereignty to the Wabanaki Nation tribes in Maine. [8]
* Social Issues: Both stand firmly for reproductive freedom, protecting abortion rights at the federal level, and securing LGBTQ+ rights. [1, 8]

## Notable Policy and Strategic Differences
While their domestic platforms are nearly identical, their practical approaches and a few specific issues differ: [9]

* Gun Control: Costello leans more traditionally progressive, pushing for stricter, broad common-sense gun safety laws. Platner, a Marine Corps veteran, explicitly opposes a ban on semi-automatic assault weapons, arguing instead for universal background checks and tailored red-flag laws that do not impede legal gun owners. [1]
* Foreign Policy: Platner places a heavy, populist emphasis on ending what he calls "pointless" forever wars and cutting waste at the Pentagon. Costello’s background is rooted in international diplomacy and foreign aid administration, giving him a more traditional view of global engagement. [1, 6]
* Political Style: Costello represents the bureaucratic, experienced wing of the party, relying on his 30 years in state and federal administration. Platner ran an aggressive, anti-establishment outsider campaign targeted at corporate greed and billionaires. [1, 2, 10, 11, 12]

Note: While their politics are aligned, Platner's campaign is currently facing a collapse following a July 2026 sexual assault allegation, leading the Maine Democratic Party and progressive groups like Our Revolution to withdraw their endorsements and call for his withdrawal. [13, 14]

[1] [https://en.wikipedia.org](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graham_Platner)
[2] [https://www.centralmaine.com](https://www.centralmaine.com/2026/05/18/david-costello-deserves-the-same-coverage-as-graham-platner-letter/)
[3] [https://mainemorningstar.com](https://mainemorningstar.com/briefs/mills-not-ready-to-support-platner-costello-though-still-in-race-says-he-would/)
[4] [https://maineaflcio.org](https://maineaflcio.org/news/graham-platner-clinches-democratic-nomination-us-senate-72-vote)
[5] [https://www.pressherald.com](https://www.pressherald.com/2026/04/07/janet-mills-released-her-policy-platform-heres-how-its-different-from-platners/)
[6] [https://lincolncountydemocrats.com](https://lincolncountydemocrats.com/graham-platner-candidate-for-united-states-senate/)
[7] [https://www.facebook.com](https://www.facebook.com/TheHill/photos/maine-senate-hopeful-graham-platner-d-addressed-the-string-of-controversies-abou/1366393178682433/)
[8] [https://ballotpedia.org](https://ballotpedia.org/Graham_Platner)
[9] [https://www.pressherald.com](https://www.pressherald.com/2026/06/03/ill-be-voting-for-platner-warts-and-all-letter/)
[10] [https://spectrumlocalnews.com](https://spectrumlocalnews.com/me/maine/politics/2026/05/01/with-mills-out-of-senate-race--democrat-david-costello-hopes-voters-give-him-a-look)
[11] [https://www.facebook.com](https://www.facebook.com/MainePublic/videos/us-senate-candidate-graham-platner-secured-the-democratic-nomination-on-tuesday-/995496396198679/)
[12] [https://www.centralmaine.com](https://www.centralmaine.com/2026/03/18/enough-about-mills-and-platner-what-about-costello-letter/)
[13] [https://www.politico.com](https://www.politico.com/news/2026/07/06/democrats-abandon-graham-platner-endorsements-support-00988421)
[14] [https://thehill.com](https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/5955769-graham-platner-accused-sexual-assault/)

[ahnakneemoose]

6. Please Consider David Costello

And thank you (SSJVegeta) for that most-impressive packet-of-facts related to David Costello.

[MineralMan]

4. None of that really matters.

His campaign is done. I think we're in for another six years of Collins.

I wish people who have stuff in their past should not think it will not come out. If you have hurt someone earlier in your life, that person may have forgiven you or told you that. However, that does not mean that your past misbehaviors will not surface if you are seeking a position of trust. The person you though forgave you may well have second thoughts, simply because you are running. That person may feel like you do not deserve to be trusted.

Live a clean life and avoid hurting others if you think you'll want to run for office someday. If you cause harm to others during your life, maybe you shouldn't be elected to office. Maybe you should do something else.

I'm very tired of people thinking their past will not catch up with them.

[The Roux Comes First]

7. But Hey It Works Like a Charm If You're Named Donald!

[MineralMan]

10. We're not Republicans.

[Dr. T]

18. Republicans march in lockstep.

Democratics don't. And it costs us elections.

[MineralMan]

19. Yes, sometimes it does.

Mostly because some Democrats stay home if they're not enthusiastic about a candidate instead of going to vote for the Democrat on the ballot. that has happened far too many times, and each time, a Republican wins that election.

If every registered Democrat actually turned out and voted for every Democrat on the ballot, we would be in a much better place. I don't know how to make that happen, though.

[Dr. T]

21. Sometimes it seems like the ideal Democratic candidate

would be a 40-year-old virgin. It's like looking for unicorns. Even alterboys and church choir singers have skeletons in their closets.

[MineralMan]

24. No, not really.

There are plenty of people who have no skeletons in their closets. Typically, though, they are also not people who seek power. That's the paradox, really. Those who seek power are the last people who should have it.

There is nothing in my past that would lead to any negative news if I were to run for office. However, I do not want to run for office. I never did want to. That's just not my sort of thing. I have known a number of people, though, who have run for and achieved elected office. None of them, sadly, are people I would have chosen to be in that office. The ones who came closest were the women who had been elected. Most of the men I know who have been elected to office are assholes at their core.

And so it goes.

[Ocelot II]

9. Unfortunately there are people whose past catches up with them and it doesn't matter.

Exhibit A: Trump. Did Platner think the worst of his past behavior would never become known, or if it did, it wouldn't matter because what had come out didn't kill his campaign; or that if Trump could be forgiven for years of horrible behavior toward women, including being found liable for sexual assault, so could he? But Eric Swalwell's campaign for governor went down in flames when his habitual sexual harassment became public (and there's another one I don't understand). It's obvious that candidates aren't getting the thorough vetting that's necessary, especially if they present an attractive or politically compelling image, as was the case for both Platner and Swalwell.

[MineralMan]

11. There is a difference between Republican and Democratic voters, I think.

There are enough Republican voters who do not care about such things to allow Trump to win.

Not so on the Democratic side.

That's my take on it, anyhow.

[karynnj]

8. He had to know something happen as she completely broke away from him

I think it more likely than not that she told him then what he had done. Being very drunk is not an excuse

[BeyondGeography]

12. It was sarcasm

designed to show how out of control the guy is. (Thingy added)

[SSJVegeta]

2. Senator David Costello has a nice ring to it

[MineralMan]

5. OK. It's up to Mainers, really.

I don't live here. I don't vote there.

[TBF]

13. It infuriates me that we have an adjudicated rapist in the White House -

but as you point out, that is what the republicans elected.

For all we know, and I suspect, this could have been a "friendly fire" take down. Schumer came out very quickly with his request for Platner to withdraw. And, for better or worse, if that happened it is better for Platner to read the room and bow out. Honestly, looking at it fresh this morning, there have been A LOT of concerns about him.

I know it's not a huge chance that a newbie can come in and upset Collins (we all saw how it played out w/Kamala Harris); but that is not written in stone. I do hope the DNC is working with Maine to come up with a worthy successor that we can rally around.

[2naSalit]

14. Well...

With campaign managers/vetters like this...

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100221356899

Is an exercise in lazy. The guy not only has no idea how to conduct vetting, he wouldn't even make a bad journalist, he talks down to people like czarina does. Another red flag for me.

[mchill]

15. Never liked the guy

Always felt like he was playing a part; not authentic, coming out of nowhere playing the “everyday working guy” and that being enough to be a US Senator. Or maybe it’s just my long personal experience with this archetype as a woman working around loggers and Alaskan men.

[dave99]

16. Democrats were never an organization

[MaineNative]

17. Graham Platner is not the be all, end all

Maine Public Radio summed up the potential replacement nicely -

"Former Maine Senate President Troy Jackson, Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, and former Maine CDC director Nirav Shah. One of Platner's Democratic primary opponents, David Costello, also said he would seek the nomination. Another potential candidate is Jordan Wood, who ran for the Senate seat before switching to the primary contest for Maine's 2nd Congressional District. Wood finished third in that race after a ranked-choice runoff.

It's also unclear whether Gov. Janet Mills, who was Platner's biggest opponent in the primary until she suspended her campaign in late-April, would be interested in rejoining the race against Collins."

I'd hit the ground running using Platner's attack approach, and by meeting us citizens where we are. Just a note, our current Governor, Janet Mills, is 78 and in the final leg of her tenure.

[ChicagoTeamster]

20. Why didn't such accusations and investigations hurt Trump or Matt Gaetz?

I'm not saying such people are acceptable in politics. But the other side seems to accept it. Taking Trump, HegSeth, and Lewandowski into consideration, it's practically a requirement in the Republican party. Why is it that we can't effectively use such character flaws and criminal behavior against Republicans but it seems to be easily used against Dems?

How can we not only better vet our candidates but also effectively hold Republicans accountable for such behavior as well? Such behavior in society in general is a problem but the fact that there is a subset of society that seems to choose and look up to liars, fraudsters and rapists is a problem. They happily accept the lies even cheering them on so long as the liar professes to be of a certain gender, faith, and ethnic group.

How do we clean this up ? Will we not be able to win elections if we can't? Will the deplorables always win?

[Dr. T]

22. Put the Ten Commandments at every street corner.

That will fix the problem of societal moral decay.

[ChicagoTeamster]

23. But the people who always propose that are always the ones who follow them the least. Among other immoralities.