Overview
- Sen. Ruben Gallego endorsed Platner, breaking with party leaders backing Gov. Janet Mills, as Platner also touts support from Sens. Bernie Sanders and Martin Heinrich.
- A University of New Hampshire survey reported Platner leading Mills by 38 points in the Democratic primary, and the same poll showed him outperforming Mills in a hypothetical matchup against Sen. Susan Collins.
- Platner held an "emergency" protest in Brewer condemning U.S. and Israeli strikes in Iran, urging pressure for war-powers votes and calling for repeal of the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force.
- He traded barbs on X with Sen. Ted Cruz after criticizing Collins over Iran, with Cruz invoking Platner’s former Nazi-like tattoo that Platner says he later covered once he learned its meaning.
- Controversy intensified after Platner deleted a repost from neo-Nazi influencer Stew Peters and faced criticism for praising an interview with host Nate Cornacchia, whose show has promoted antisemitic conspiracy theories.