Republican Senator Susan Collins is tightening the race in Maine, with a new internal poll showing Democratic candidate Graham Platner holding a narrower lead days after reports surfaced that he exchanged sexually explicit text messages with several women during his marriage.
The disclosure comes just over a week before the June 9 primary, as Platner, a Marine Corps veteran and coastal Maine oyster farmer, has gained momentum in recent polls against the Republican incumbent in a race that could help determine control of the U.S. Senate.
Newsweek has reached out to Platner and Collins' press teams for comment via email on Wednesday evening.
What the Poll Shows
A new Public Policy Polling survey found Platner leading the race by 4 points. The poll of 670 registered Maine voters found the Democrat up 49 percent to Collins' 45 percent, with 6 percent undecided. Political analyst Nate Silver rates the pollster a B+, noting a democratic lean of 0.88.
Among those undecided, "they voted for Kamala Harris by a 23-point margin in 2024, and give President Trump a net -26 favorability rating now, suggesting they're more likely to break for Platner than for Collins as they make their decisions for the Senate race," Silver said.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/susan-collins-chance-beating-platner-230642775.html
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