Maine voters shrug off Platner's Nazi tattoo

Source: slate.com

TL;DR

• Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner leads polls despite a past Totenkopf tattoo linked to Nazis.
• Platner leads Janet Mills by 25 points on average in February and March 2026 polls, with Mills below 40% in all surveys.
• Voters prioritize his anti-oligarchy message over the tattoo, unlike online critics on Bluesky who demand purity.

The story at a glance

Slate writer Luke Winkie argues that Maine Democratic voters have moved past Graham Platner's Nazi-associated tattoo, propelling him past Gov. Janet Mills in the primary to challenge Sen. Susan Collins. The tattoo surfaced in October 2025, but Platner leads by wide margins as of early 2026. Online liberals, especially on Bluesky, remain fixated on it. This comes amid Platner's viral campaign launch in summer 2025 railing against oligarchs and health care costs.[[1]](https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2026/04/graham-platner-nazi-tattoo-democrats-voters-maine.html#)[[2]](https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2026/04/graham-platner-nazi-tattoo-democrats-voters-maine.html)

Key points

• Platner, an oyster farmer and former Marine, got the Totenkopf skull-and-crossbones tattoo in 2007 while drunk in Croatia; he claims ignorance of its SS ties until the campaign and has since covered it.
• Old Reddit posts show Platner using anti-gay slurs, questioning Black tipping habits, and retrograde views on sexual assault, which reporters unearthed alongside the tattoo news.
• Despite initial backlash, Platner refused to drop out and now dominates polls: leads Mills by 25 points average, with endorsements from Bernie Sanders and others.
• Bluesky users call him a neo-Nazi, demand Maine's federal occupation if he wins, and shun his supporters; groups like Working Families Party avoid endorsing him there.
• Pod Save America host Jon Favreau highlighted the voter-online split in early March 2026, saying focus should be on Platner's policies, not past errors.[[1]](https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2026/04/graham-platner-nazi-tattoo-democrats-voters-maine.html#)
• Winkie sees this as a Democratic shift: post-Trump rules allow forgiveness for non-ideological flaws, unlike past purity tests.

Details and context

Platner launched with a viral ad in summer 2025 attacking oligarchy, health care cartels, and military spending, drawing liberal excitement to flip Collins's seat. Tattoo news in October 2025 seemed fatal at first--Winkie thought no Democrat could survive it--but voters shrugged it off amid appetite for shake-up candidates.

Bluesky acts as a hub for "uncompromising moral standards" and millennial wokeness, where Platner polls as "one of the least popular people." Favreau called purists out of touch, linking their fear of missteps to Democrats' minority status.

Winkie draws from his own youth: many "adrift twentysomething males" like Platner need bringing along despite imperfections, as people can change without Nazi ideology.

Key quotes

• "If he’s a Nazi, he’s really fucking bad at it." --Jon Favreau on X, early March 2026.[[1]](https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2026/04/graham-platner-nazi-tattoo-democrats-voters-maine.html#)
• "There has never been a moment in the history of the modern Democratic Party when brandishing a Nazi tattoo... wouldn’t immediately torpedo a candidate’s electoral prospects." --Luke Winkie.[[1]](https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2026/04/graham-platner-nazi-tattoo-democrats-voters-maine.html#)

Why it matters

Maine's primary tests if Democrats can broaden their tent beyond online purity enforcers, potentially flipping a key Senate seat from Susan Collins. Voters get a fighter against establishment failures; online activists risk alienating the base that wins elections. Watch primary turnout and national party moves, as Platner's lead could shift if scandals resurface or Mills surges.