Pro Choice groups back Janet Mills over Graham Platner for Senate...

[PeaceWave]

Reproductive Freedom for All is throwing its support behind Maine Governor Janet Mills in a heated Democratic Senate primary contest with progressive candidate Graham Platner, Axios has learned.

https://www.axios.com/2025/12/09/abortion-rights-maine-senate-mills-platner

Why it matters: It's the second major abortion-rights organization to back Mills in the race that's pitted leadership against the party's progressive wing.

EMILYs List, a Democratic group that works to elect pro-choice women candidates, claimed in an internal polling memo in November that Platner is a political liability.

The memo highlighted comments Platner made in deleted Reddit posts about victims of sexual assault, including saying victims should "just take some responsibility for themselves" to avoid attacks and "act like an adult for f–cks sake."

https://emilyslist.org/sound-the-alarm/sound-the-alarm-graham-platner-says-sexual-assault-victims-should-take-some-responsibility-in-now-deleted-reddit-posts/

EMILYs List President Jessica Mackler released the following statement:

“Graham Platner’s comments blaming victims of sexual assault are unacceptable and disqualifying. They’re also the fastest way to hand Susan Collins a victory, should Platner advance in this race. In the past 24 hours alone, we have learned that Platner blamed victims for sexual assault, called the Maine voters he is seeking to represent “racist” and “stupid,” and promoted violent political action. Taking back control of the Senate relies on winning this seat and the stakes are much too high. We cannot afford to put that responsibility in the hands of this man. It is clear that Janet Mills — with a proven record of winning elections and delivering for Maine — is the only candidate who can beat Susan Collins and flip this seat.”

[Fiendish Thingy]

1. 77 year old Mills is pro-filibuster, and we must only elect senators willing to kill the filibuster and expand the court

The primary isn’t until June, and the filing deadline for candidates isn’t until April.

It’s waay too early for a coronation in a race that has more than two candidates.

Maine can do better than Mills

Mills may be better than Platner on issues of reproductive rights, but even if a bill codifying Roe is passed and signed by a Dem president, the current SCOTUS could simply overturn that law.

That’s why the filibuster must die and the court must be expanded.

[W_HAMILTON]

2. So if Mills comes out in favor of eliminating the filibuster, you'll support her then?

[SSJVegeta]

4. We are talking about a guy who has advocated violence, has a nazi tattoo -and has shown

Serious signs of questionable judgement and possibly untreated serious mental health issues.

When people say they remind them of Fetterman, this is what they are worried about.

[Fiendish Thingy]

7. I'm not talking about Platner at all

I’m talking about finding a better, scandal free candidate who is willing to kill the filibuster and expand the court, otherwise, once Dems get the trifecta again in 2029, there no chance in hell they will pass anything but a watered down reconciliation bill, with absolutely no chance of neutralizing the MAGA majority on the court and repairing the damage of the Trump era.

[SSJVegeta]

8. My mistake... Cheers to that!

[sheshe2]

5. If it comes down to Mills and Platner...

I will be cheering for the one that supports the filibuster over a man that in his own words blamed victims of sexual assault that alone would make them unacceptable and disqualifying.

[Fiendish Thingy]

6. That's my point: it doesn't have to come down to those two and only those two

The state Dem party should be doing some aggressive recruiting right this minute.

[NoRethugFriends]

9. You're not getting a majority to expand the court, so that is irrelevant.

And the filibuster-ending is a double-edged sword, and it's not happening anyhow.

We don't need another wack-job like Fetterman or Gallego
https://www.advocate.com/politics/ruben-gallego-mocks-democrats

[Fiendish Thingy]

12. If you don't want any more wack jobs, then we need to find another candidate for Maine besides Mills

And I dispute your certainty that Dems won’t get a majority for expansion.

If they don’t by 2029, then they will continue to be perceived as ineffective in governing the nation, and will lose more presidential elections to republican lunatics.

[Midwestern Democrat]

16. If some of the polls I've seen of this race are accurate, Schumer may have massively misjudged the mood after what

happened in 2024.

[BannonsLiver]

25. We?

Aren’t you Canadian?

[SSJVegeta]

3. Good!

Emotional stability tops ideological interests almost every time.

[NoRethugFriends]

10. You're not getting a majority to increase court size

And the filibuster-ending is a double-edged sword, and it's not happening anyhow.

We don't need another wack-job like Fetterman or Gallego
https://www.advocate.com/politics/ruben-gallego-mocks-democrats

[Celerity]

11. A shame it will very likely come down to Mills and Platner. Mills will be 85yo at the end of her first term, and is

too centrist/moderate for my taste (for example, she is pro filibuster, she is anti-decriminalisation for small personal use amounts of drugs, is anti red-flag laws for guns, she has vetoed collective bargaining rights, wealth taxes, protections for renters, and tribal sovereignty laws, etc).

Platner simply has far too much baggage for me. Very problematic that he was not vetted better.

I so wish the people of Maine (and by extension all Democrats nationwide) had a better viable third Democratic candidate option to chose over those two.

[Deep State Witch]

13. Both Candidates Have Drawbacks

Mills - At the age when people start mentally deteriorating. Corporate, establishment Dem
Platner - No experience, has said and done questionable things in the past

Wasn't there a third candidate?

[dsc]

14. He is running for the House now in Golden's current seat

I think ME 2.

[Deep State Witch]

20. Ah, OK.

Thanks!

[Cha]

15. TY Reproductive Freedom for All and Emily's List!

Gov Janet Mills is getting my Donation!

[LetMyPeopleVote]

30. Same here

[RetiredParatrooper]

17. Janet Mills is 77 years old

She will be 78 when (assuming she wins) she is sworn in for a six-year term. The actuarial tables are undefeated.

Find someone else.

[QueerDuck]

22. So TF what? She's well-liked and we need a victory NOW... we need to defeat Collins NOW!

The people who continually re-elect Collins are NOT very likely to suddenly choose some newbie from the far end of the political horseshoe. It's clear that Mills will not be a multi-term Senator... but she will be a DEMOCRATIC senator and we can finally kick that awful Collins out on her butt.

And as I'm sure you're aware, it's very difficult to defeat an incumbent... especially for some newcomer... especially in Maine. Let's work on winning rather than worrying about the actuary tables and other stealthy ageist comments.

[RetiredParatrooper]

23. 'Ageist'?

I am dealing with reality, and the continuing failures of that generation of Dems. The upcoming generation has been ill-served by the establishment. How's Chuck Schumer working for us? Regrettably, Diane Feinstein was being 'Weekend at Bernie'd' towards her end as well. I will also add that THREE house Dems have died since January. Had people gotten out of the way, the Epstein files would probably have been out long before they were.

Do you want to win, or do you want to tone police and purity test?

If it is either, THAT is why we lose.

[Torchlight]

24. It does not follow

Good luck

[QueerDuck]

27. No. Running unqualified newbies against seasoned and popular incumbents is why we lose.

Pretending that the Democrats in Maine are the same as the Democrats in Vermont is why we lose. A win right now is more important that risking a loss for the sake of "youth" and purity... or out of the paranoid fear that Mills might someday die.

Oh, and... ahem... "welcome to DU" (I didn't see you before, but now I do. I apologize for being tardy with my welcome!) 😆😉

[RetiredParatrooper]

28. That's for the welcome!

Last edited Wed Dec 10, 2025, 03:28 PM - Edit history (1)

I'll get over to the Lounge at some point.

I never claimed that Maine and Vermont are the same thing. I live in NC so I know that a Southern Dem is very different from a Northern one.

I also cannot agree with your characterization of Mills kicking the bucket as a 'paranoid fear'. The actuarial tables are a real thing, for reasons I have already laid out. The danger is very, Very, VERY real. Feinstein was in terrible shape, and we put a 74 year old guy with cancer as the House Oversight ranking member. And he kicked the bucket. Absurd strategy.

The 'winning right now' strategy is also a bad take. The GOP played the long game and kicked the shit out of us by taking things over at the state level, and grooming young wingnuts there. And those people are now in the Hose and Senate (don't get me started on Federalist Society trash infecting the judiciary).

[leftstreet]

31. +1

The 'winning right now' strategy is also a bad take. The GOP played the long game and kicked the shit out of us by taking things over at the state level, and grooming young wingnuts there. And those people are now in the Hose and Senate (don't get me started on Federalist Society trash infecting the judiciary).

You got that right

The Democrats have never responded to Gingrich's (vile and successful) Contract With On America. And that was 1994 !! They've been able to skate and be viable as a reactionary party.

Times have changed

[Cha]

33. I just mentioned to that poster that Sen Angus King

is 81 and Sen Sanders is 84.

[QueerDuck]

35. That's a good point. The objections seems to be situational.

[Cha]

36. That's a good way to put it.

[RetiredParatrooper]

37. Angus King is not a Dem

Worth noting.

[Cha]

38. So? Sen King Votes with the Dems.

[RetiredParatrooper]

41. I am aware of that

It changes nothing that I said. Also keep in mind that King was one of those who blew up the shutdown.

[Cha]

43. Angus King is still a 81 and a Senator who votes

with Dems and Sanders is 84.

[RetiredParatrooper]

48. You are ignoring the point

At this point it seems, rather deliberately. Do you think these people are going to be around forever? We would do well to start planning for this, because continuing to ignore this HUGE problem is self-defeating in the extreme. Neither one of the states they represent are like KY or MS.

I say this as someone who voted for Sanders in the 2016 primary.

[Cha]

49. I'm Not ignoring Anything.. Please Stop

making this personal.

[PunkinPi]

47. neither is bernie (his own admission, not mine). nt

[0rganism]

39. Problem with having an elderly 1-term senator is "seniority"

Freshman senators don't have the same clout as returners. The senate rules give a lot of weight to seniority. So booting Collins, a very senior senator, in favor of a likely 1-and-done senator leaves Maine lagging in influence for at least 12 years.

It really would be to the benefit of the state, the Democratic party, and the nation to find other younger candidates for the upcoming primaries.

[Midwestern Democrat]

42. Elderly Senators running for re-election also have another advantage over elderly non-incumbents seeking office:

a sentiment among voters along the lines of "We wish he would retire BUT we're not going to kick him out of office". Does anyone think Dianne Feinstein would have been elected to the US Senate in either 2012 or 2018 if she was a non-incumbent seeking her first term instead of the incumbent seeking her fourth and fifth terms? Anyone think Chuck Grassley would have won his last couple of primaries if he wasn't the incumbent?

[Cha]

32. Sen Angus king is 81... Sen Sanders is

84.

[DFW]

18. Reproductive Freedom For All is a surprise player here

But I understand why. A man who claims to be "progressive" runs around like crazy trying to delete previous statements that mocked violence toward women. Janet is indeed 77. She is also completely compos mentis, and has laudable public service behind her. I have seen posts saying Platner was endorsed by Bernie Sanders, and is thus the better candidate, especially since Janet must be "too old." Sanders was 83, and not "too old" when he ran for (and won) his latest term in the Senate, but Janet is too old at 77?

I don't always agree with Emily's List, but in this case we are 100% in synch. Getting "someone else" at this point only makes sense if Janet has a stroke, or some such medical issue. Barring that, I'm all for her going for (and, most likely, winning) this seat for us.

In less than three weeks, I'll be at a gathering where I've met with Janet for several years in a row now. It's all off the record, but, assuming she's there again this year, if I get the impression that she is slipping, I'll say so. However, if I get the impression that she is as solid as ever, I'll say that, too.

[QueerDuck]

19. Excellent! I'm always inclined to prefer experience, competence and a winning strategy over purity...

and even if we ignore the obvious benefits qualification and having a practical strategy, I'm always (and continually) befuddled by the support that Platner receives among those who would otherwise know better, except that this knowledge is clouded by an irrational hate or contempt for Mills, based presumably (if not blatantly) on her age and the fact that she has broad centrist appeal, and an unreasonable demand for absolute purity. It's a fantasy to believe that the voters of Maine are anything other than what they are and who they are. After all, they keep electing Collins and for the most part, they seem to be quite content with their choice. It makes no sense to me that they'd be willing to trot themselves en mass to the far ends of the political horseshoe or spectrum.

[SocialDemocrat61]

21. As a resident of New York

I'll let the residents of Maine decide and respectfully stay out of it.

[OLDMDDEM]

26. Mills may be a good politician, but she and I are the same age and I do not support electing someone who

will be in their 80s during their tenure. Elect someone younger and get new ideas.

[leftstreet]

34. Maine has some of the oldest voters in US

They are NOT going to vote for a fellow aging person

I think that's what's driving Platner's rallies (which are mostly elderly people). They want someone younger

[OLDMDDEM]

40. Good. I agree with them.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

29. This is a great endorsement

Mills is a far better candidate than Plantar

[QueerDuck]

45. "But, but, but... she's so o-o-o-old!" 🤡😜🙄

[Cha]

50. Older and Wiser with Excellent Qualifications and

Last edited Fri Dec 12, 2025, 06:34 PM - Edit history (1)

Experience... What a Concept!!

Age is a number... one size does not fit all.

[QueerDuck]

51. TYVM!

[DFW]

46. Democrats, it seems, always find a reason and a way to tear down other Democrats.

I think half of them must get their political training in Asterix's village.

[QueerDuck]

52. "Ain't it the truth? Ain't it the truth!"