Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass, is throwing her weight behind newcomer Graham Platner in Maine's high-stakes Democratic primary in June - a pivotal showdown that will determine who will face incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins in November.
Warren's endorsement, announced Wednesday in a video statement posted by Platner's campaign, marks a significant boost for Platner as he continues to gain traction in the race against chief rival Gov. Janet Mills, who has the full backing of party leadership.
Citing his roots as an oyster farmer and his service as a combat veteran, Warren framed Platner as a hard-working outsider who would be a natural disruptor in Washington.
By emphasizing that he will not simply "go along to get along," she drew a sharp contrast with Mills, whom progressives have increasingly labeled a creature of the party establishment.
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"I endorse Graham Platner because I know he is a fighter on behalf of working families, and because he doesn't take any corporate PAC money, and we need more people here in Washington who are less about go along to get along, and more about fighting to make the kind of changes that families need," Warren said.
"Graham knows the consequences of Donald Trump sending our service members to fight endless wars in the Middle East," she added. "He's a combat veteran who was deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan."
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Warren's endorsement comes at a critical moment for Platner's populist, progressive campaign, following a series of controversies that have surfaced in recent weeks and added new scrutiny to his bid.
The Mills campaign recently launched a massive ad buy highlighting controversial comments Platner allegedly made on Reddit over a decade ago, including crude remarks about sexual assault, as well as a tattoo on his chest that resembed a Nazi symbol.
Platner has since apologized and addressed the tattoo, while also firing back at Mills, calling her ad a "desperate" reach from a governor "who is trailing an oyster farmer in every recent poll."
Warren also acknowledged Platner's Reddit posts during an interview with HuffPost on Thursday, noting that she believes his apology was sincere.
"Look, he has apologized for that, and he's out there talking to the people of Maine every single day," Warren said.
The victor of the June 9 primary will go on to challenge Collins, who represents the last Republican senator in a state that did not vote for Donald Trump in any of his three presidential campaigns.
With Republicans holding a narrow Senate majority, Democrats view Maine as one of their best opportunities to flip a seat, prompting national groups to pour millions into the race and turn the contest into a proxy battle for control of the U.S. Senate.
Amid broader concerns about the current political climate in Maine and the state's ranked-choice voting system, Collins faces a significant challenge in her bid to secure a sixth term.
