Platner-Collins Maine Senate Race Tops $100 Million as GOP Allies Lock In $49 Million in Ads
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jun 9
Platner-Collins Maine Senate Race Tops $100 Million as GOP Allies Lock In $49 Million in Ads
1 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jun 9
Summary
$100 million-plus has already been raised or reserved around Maine’s likely Senate matchup, making the Platner-Collins contest one of the priciest races of the 2026 midterms.
Platner’s campaign outraised Collins $16.2 million to $11.8 million from January 2025 through late May, even as his bid has been hit by multiple scandals.
Collins holds the bigger outside-spending edge: One Nation has backed her with more than $19 million in ads and another dark-money group has added nearly $7 million.
Republican groups have also moved earlier on fall airtime, with Senate Leadership Fund reserving nearly $29 million and pro-Collins super PAC Pine Tree Results planning another $20 million after Tuesday’s election.
Democrats are still heavily engaged in the chamber-control fight, with WinSenate booking more than $26 million and anti-Collins groups already spending roughly $10 million.
When personal controversies meet record spending, how can voters evaluate a candidate's actual fitness for office?
As outside money floods local elections, what is the ultimate impact on the democratic process itself?
With regulators gridlocked, can voters truly know who is spending millions to influence their election choices?
Sex Scandals, Big Money, and National Stakes: The 2026 Maine Senate Race That Could Flip the U.S. Senate
Overview
Graham Platner’s campaign for the Maine U.S. Senate seat was quickly upended by a series of personal scandals, including allegations of sending sexually explicit messages to multiple women early in his marriage using the Kik app. These revelations, widely reported and discussed by his wife in a public statement, led to intense media scrutiny and ongoing questions about his behavior. Interviews with several women described Platner’s conduct as intimidating and emotionally taxing, further fueling controversy. As these issues emerged rapidly, they significantly reshaped the dynamics of the race, impacting voter sentiment and the overall competitiveness of Platner’s challenge against Senator Susan Collins.