Elizabeth Warren Backs Graham Platner in Maine Senate Race, Bucking Democratic Leadership

Sen. Elizabeth Warren endorsed candidate Graham Platner in the Maine Democratic primary for Senate against Gov. Janet Mills.

“Graham Platner is the real deal. He’s a fighter, and he’s ready to take that fight to Washington,” the progressive from Massachusetts said in her endorsement video. “Graham Platner has the grit to go against the grain and to fight for what is right. And the people in Maine are fired up and excited for change. You know what? That’s the energy, that’s the fighting spirit that the Democratic Party needs now more than ever.”

Warren’s endorsement of Platner goes against what Democratic leadership wants: Mills.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has pushed for Mills to be the Democratic candidate in the race to unseat Republican Sen. Susan Collins. However, Schumer may not have polling on his side: A February poll from the University of New Hampshire shows Platner leading both Mills and Collins.

“Polls, polls come and go. There are different polls that are all over the lot. We’re going to win in Maine, and frankly, Mills is the only Democrat who’s won statewide in 20 years,” Schumer told reporters last month.

Warren is joining a growing group of Democrats in Washington siding with Platner. He is also endorsed by Sens. Bernie Sanders, Ruben Gallego, Martin Heinrich and Rep. Ro Khanna.

“I have nothing against Janet Mills, but I think right now, Susan Collins is absolutely beatable,” Sanders told NOTUS before Mills entered the race in October. “She can be beaten, and I think it would be a really sad state of affairs to have to spend millions of dollars on a divisive primary. We should be focusing on beating Susan Collins, and Platner can do that.”