(The Center Square) — Oyster fisherman and political newcomer Graham Platner has widened a lead over Gov. Janet Mills in Maine’s Democratic primary race for U.S. Senate, according to a new independent poll.
The poll by the University of New Hampshire Survey Center, released on Tuesday, found 64% say they would vote for Platner if the primary were held today, compared to 25% who say they would vote for Mills. Only 6% said they were undecided. A poll released by the center in October showed Platner with a 58% to 24% lead over Mills, with 14% undecided.
Platner, a former-Marine making his first run for elected office, is also far more popular than the governor among likely Democratic voters, with a 71% favorability compared to 51% for Mills, according to the latest poll.
Platner jumped into the race in August with support from progressives including Democratic Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who argues that the political newcomer is the party’s best shot at defeating incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. Susan Collins next year and regaining control of the U.S. Senate.
Mills, 77, a two-term governor and former attorney general, jumped into the race in October. She is prevented from seeking another term.
Whoever emerges from the Democratic primary will face a formidable challenge to unseat Collins, who remains popular among a broad cross-section of Maine voters, including independents.
The moderate Republican was first elected to the Senate in 1996 and has been handily reelected every term since then despite opposition. In the 2020 election, Collins was reelected by nearly 9 points in the blue state, even as then-Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden carried the state by a similar margin.
The UNH poll shows Collins with a “commanding” lead over prospective GOP challengers, with 67% of likely Republican voters supporting her reelection bid.
But the UNH poll shows Platner leading Collins 49% to 38% in a potential general election matchup between the two candidates; while voters backed Mills over Collins by 41% to 40% in a two-way race. Meanwhile, independents favor Platner over Collins 47% to 38%, but favor Collins over Mills 35% to 29%, according to the poll.
The Maine race is being watched by national political observers as Democrats push to retake the U.S. Senate — where Republicans currently have a 53-47 majority — in the midterms. Both the Cook Political Report and Sabato’s Crystal Ball have listed the Senate race as a toss-up.
