Democratic senators are continuing to keep their distance from the growing controversy surrounding Graham Platner, the Democratic candidate hoping to unseat longtime Republican Sen. Susan Collins in Maine, even as a series of resurfaced comments threaten to complicate what many Democrats viewed as one of their strongest pickup opportunities in 2026.
When approached by Fox News Digital this week, several Democratic lawmakers either declined to weigh in directly on Platner’s past remarks or said they were not closely following the race.
“I’m not following that race closely,” Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said when asked about the controversy surrounding Platner.
That response has become fairly representative of how Democratic senators are handling questions about the Maine candidate, whose old online posts about sexual assault, race, and terrorism have drawn renewed scrutiny in recent months.
The silence has left unanswered questions about whether national Democrats believe Platner’s past comments could seriously damage his viability in a general election against Collins, a Republican incumbent who has repeatedly proven difficult to defeat despite representing a state that often leans Democratic in presidential elections.
The Maine Senate race is viewed by Democrats as one of their best chances to flip a Republican-held seat. Collins, who has served in the Senate since 1997, has long cultivated a moderate image that has allowed her to survive politically even as Maine has shifted leftward in national races.
Her last re-election victory came in 2020, when she defeated Democratic challenger Sara Gideon by roughly nine points, winning 51 percent of the vote to Gideon’s 42.4 percent.
Now Democrats face the possibility that Platner’s past comments could become a major liability if he secures the nomination.
Among the most controversial posts to resurface was a 2013 Reddit comment in which Platner appeared to blame sexual assault victims for placing themselves in vulnerable situations.
“How about people just take some responsibility for themselves and not so f—ed up when they wind up having sex with someone they don’t mean to?” Platner wrote at the time.
“If you don’t want to be in a compromising situation, act like an adult for f—s sake.”
The remarks have already become a line of attack for Republicans, who argue they reveal troubling judgment and temperament for someone seeking statewide office.
Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., acknowledged he was not deeply familiar with the details surrounding the controversy but said he intended to review the matter more carefully.
“I have not been focusing on this race,” Booker told Fox News Digital.
Still, Booker suggested that ultimately the issue would be decided by Maine voters rather than fellow senators in Washington.
“I am going to do my due diligence and look through the full body of evidence around him,” Booker said. “He has a case to make to the voters, not to people like me. And he needs to make it because obviously this election is highly consequential.”
Platner has previously attempted to explain some of the controversial posts by pointing to personal struggles and combat-related trauma, though critics argue the explanations have done little to quiet concerns.
Other Democratic senators similarly avoided directly condemning or defending the candidate.
“It’s up to Maine,” Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt., said when asked about the race. “It’s up to Maine’s people.”
For now, national Democrats appear reluctant to fully engage in the controversy as the Maine Senate race continues to take shape. Whether that strategy holds if Platner becomes the official Democratic nominee remains to be seen.
