Graham Platner, whose Senate campaign has been marred with scandal from the outset, maintains an active account on a platform notorious for enabling sexual predators.
The Maine Democrat, who is seeking to unseat incumbent senator Susan Collins, is a registered user on Kik, a Daily Wire review found. The National Center on Sexual Exploitation deems the anonymous messaging app a “predator’s paradise,” thanks to a number of features that allow underage users to join the app and communicate with adults.
Platner’s Kik account bears the username “phustle0331,” which is strikingly similar to his Instagram handle, Phustle0331, as well as the username for a Reddit account where he infamously mocked American soldiers as “fat and lazy” and endorsed fascist beliefs.
The profile picture on the Kik account — which, though inactive, is not deactivated — features an image of a shirtless man with a towel wrapped around his waist. The image shows a man with tattoos that match Platner’s — including the Chinese character for “love” on his chest, a tattoo on his arm, and a tattoo on his shoulder.
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-1105407" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/image-4-576x576.png" alt="" width="576" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/image-4-576x576.png 576w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/image-4-300x300.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/image-4-150x150.png 150w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/image-4-768x768.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/image-4.png 1000w" sizes=" (max-width: 576px) 100vw, 576px" /></div>
On Saturday, the Wall Street Journal reported that Platner’s wife, wife Amy Gertner, flagged for campaign staff a year ago that her husband had exchanged <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/popular-dem-senate-candidate-caught-by-wife-exchanging-raunchy-texts-with-women?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=Graham+Platner+Caught+By+Wife+Exchanging+Raunchy+Texts+With+Women" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sexually explicit text messages</a> with multiple women. Platner’s campaign has been dogged by revelations of the candidate’s sexually explicit statements, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dem-candidate-complained-about-thai-prostitute-loophole-closing?author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Dem+Candidate+Complained+About+Thai+Prostitute+%E2%80%98Loophole%E2%80%99+Closing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">including</a> a 2017 social media post in which Platner said he had to “jerk off every time I sit in a portash*tter.”
In another post, Platner described graffiti of a penis as “beautiful,” “engorged and veiny,” and moving “towards its penetrative glory.”
<div id="attachment_1105419" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1105419" class="size-large wp-image-1105419" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/IMG_6917-1024x473.jpeg" alt="" width="1024" height="473" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/IMG_6917-1024x473.jpeg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/IMG_6917-300x139.jpeg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/IMG_6917-768x355.jpeg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/IMG_6917-1536x710.jpeg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/IMG_6917-2048x947.jpeg 2048w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Screenshot of Platner’s active Kik profile</div>
Platner’s Kik profile was created on June 26, 2016. The Democrat was almost 32-years-old when he joined the app, on which an estimated 70% of users are between the ages of <a href="https://www.searchlogistics.com/learn/statistics/kik-user-statistics/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">13 and 24</a>. Though the app recently required users to be 18 or older to join, for most of its history it welcomed users <a href="https://gethuman.com/customer-service/Kik/faq/What-age-group-is-Kik-intended-for/pEkg4L" target="_blank" rel="noopener">13 and older.</a> Despite those guidelines, the app still does not require <a href="https://www.wave3.com/2025/10/23/messaging-app-allegedly-used-louisville-sex-crimes-case-described-predators-paradise/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">official age verification.</a>
A <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/thomasbrewster/2017/08/03/kik-has-a-massive-child-abuse-problem/#53f0fc31a142" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Forbes investigation</a> found that Kik had a “huge child exploitation problem,” while the BBC found that the app was at the center of over <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-45568276" target="_blank" rel="noopener">1,100 child sexual abuse cases</a> in the United Kingdom between 2013 and 2018.
But even among consenting adult users, Kik is no ordinary messenger. The platform has been <a href="https://www.wave3.com/2025/10/23/messaging-app-allegedly-used-louisville-sex-crimes-case-described-predators-paradise/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">described</a> as “the app with the most severe sexual content.” Kik offers sexually explicit live chats with women, and is often found at the center of “sexploitation” cases, wherein predators coax someone to send nude photos, and then use the images for blackmail, the New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/06/us/social-media-apps-anonymous-kik-crime.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> in 2016.
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1105409" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-30-at-6.33.48-PM.png" alt="" width="542" height="428" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-30-at-6.33.48-PM.png 542w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-30-at-6.33.48-PM-300x237.png 300w" sizes=" (max-width: 542px) 100vw, 542px" /></div>
That report — released four months before Platner created his Kik account — chronicles a litany of heinous acts perpetrated by predators on the app, including a man who used the app to distribute child pornography, several who sent and solicited sexually explicit messages from minors, and one instance where a man attempted to kidnap a 14-year-old girl. Kik was also where 13-year-old Nicole Madison Lowell chatted with two Virginia Tech students who kidnapped and killed her.
In<a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/pr/sedgwick-man-sentenced-60-years-producing-child-sexual-abuse-material" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> June 2025</a>, a Maine man was sentenced to 30 to 60 years in jail for producing videos of children being raped and distributing the videos in a Kik chatroom that existed solely for that purpose.
Platner, a leftist who describes himself as an “oyster farmer” has been plagued by more than just allegations of sexual impropriety. The Democrat was infamously revealed early in his campaign to have a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/maine-senate-candidate-downplays-ss-skull-tattoo-i-am-not-a-secret-nazi" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nazi tattoo</a> on his chest, and in recent days refused to apologize to a Purple Heart recipient whom Platner called a “dumb motherf*cker” who “didn’t deserve to live.&#8221;
Platner currently leads Collins by nearly 8 points, <a href="https://www.realclearpolling.com/polls/senate/general/2026/maine/collins-vs-platner" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the RealClearPolitics polling average.

Untitled design – 2026-05-30T183915.025

SEE IT: Graham Platner Has Active Profile On ‘Predator’s Paradise’ Messaging App

Crime

graham platner

Maine

Pedophilia

Sexual Abuse

Susan Collins

A decorated U.S. Army combat veteran took to the pages of <a href="https://www.wsj.com/opinion/im-the-soldier-grahamplatner-mocked-2a6c3dbc?mod=opinion_lead_pos5">The Wall Street Journal</a> on Thursday to deliver a thunderous beatdown to Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner, exposing the presumptive nominee as a keyboard coward who rooted for the Taliban to kill American soldiers.
Purple Heart recipient Teddy Daniels eviscerated Platner, calling him an &#8220;entitled brat&#8221; and an elitist phony who pretends to be a working-class champion while secretly harboring deep contempt for blue-collar Americans.
The fury erupted after investigative reports unearthed a shocking digital paper trail from Platner’s past. Using the anonymous Reddit handle &#8220;P-Hustle,&#8221; Platner left a trail of <a href="https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/politics/maine-politics/sen-susan-collins-criticizes-challenger-graham-platner-comments-about-her-and-2019-reddit-post-teddy-daniels/97-54f2209c-e5c5-4737-8876-4f7fa7b71a5d#:~:text=Collins%20added%20that%20she%20and,combat%20in%20Afghanistan%20in%202012.">1,800 comments</a> — including a stomach-churning June 2019 post in which he watched a viral helmet-cam video of Daniels getting shot multiple times during a 2012 Taliban ambush in Afghanistan.
Instead of showing respect for a wounded soldier, Platner mocked him.
“This video never gets old. Dumb motherf*cker didn’t deserve to live,” Platner wrote online, mocking the bleeding soldier as a &#8220;mouthbreather&#8221; who only survived due to &#8220;poor marksmanship on the Taliban’s part.&#8221;
“I received a Purple Heart for my injuries, but Mr. Platner cheered for my death from behind a keyboard,” Daniels wrote.
<iframe loading="lazy" title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rLHU-_OhT8g?si=UQbA6Xl1Hlb1Kf26" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Daniels used his Journal op-ed to rip the mask off the 41-year-old Democrat. &#8220;The tough-talking Marine veteran struts around in a Carhartt jacket and jeans &#8230; He also plays up his job as an &#8216;oyster farmer,&#8217; but the only client mentioned in his federal financial <a class="ekxajjj0 css-i0lbhy-OverridedLink" href="https://www.themainewire.com/2025/11/platners-long-delayed-financial-disclosure-raises-new-questions-mills-granted-filing-extension/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-type="link">disclosure</a> was the restaurant his mother owns.&#8221;
&#8220;I couldn’t care less about the comments he made about me, but they are a reflection of his character,&#8221; Daniels wrote, comparing Platner to &#8220;Tim Walz on steroids&#8221; and pointing out that Platner has also used his keyboard to trash-talk Navy SEAL Chris Kyle and Vice President JD Vance. &#8220;I never thought I’d see the day when Democrats would even consider backing a candidate like this.&#8221;
The disgusting revelations have added another scandal to Platner’s campaign just two weeks before the Maine primary, drawing a furious rebuke from incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins.
Collins, <a href="https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/politics/maine-politics/sen-susan-collins-criticizes-challenger-graham-platner-comments-about-her-and-2019-reddit-post-teddy-daniels/97-54f2209c-e5c5-4737-8876-4f7fa7b71a5d">speaking</a> at a fire station groundbreaking in Auburn, Maine, revealed that outraged veterans from all across the United States have been flooding her office to voice their disgust. For Collins, the insult is deeply personal — her own father was a World War II veteran who earned two Purple Hearts at the Battle of the Bulge, where he was wounded just after turning 19.
“You have Graham Platner using profanity and saying that this wounded soldier doesn’t deserve to live,” a visibly appalled Collins told reporters. “These are men and women who are risking their lives for our country &#8230; for him to ridicule this soldier and saying that he doesn’t deserve to live is just appalling.”
Platner tried to salvage his campaign by releasing a frantic video statement, attempting to blame Collins for sending him to war because of her 2002 vote to authorize military action in Iraq.
But Collins instantly nuked that defense, pointing out that Platner wasn&#8217;t drafted — he voluntarily enlisted twice long after the war had already begun, and then chose to cash in by working for the controversial private mercenary firm Blackwater.
The U.S. Senate primary in Maine is on June 9. Platner is expected to cruise to victory in the Democratic primary after his main opponent, Democratic Governor Janet Mills, suspended her campaign.

Maine Democrat Graham Platner Is Winning Voters All ‘Pissed At The Same Thing’

Purple Heart Hero Levels Radical Dem Who Mocked His War Wounds

Afghanistan

purple heart

Maine Democrat Senate candidate Graham Platner once lamented the closing of a loophole that allowed military contractors to save money on taxes by spending their time off “banging hookers in Thailand” instead of getting “b*tched” at by their wives back in the United States.
 “Spend your leave banging hookers in Thailand instead of getting b*tched at by the wife back home, and you could sell it as avoiding federal income tax,” Platner wrote on Reddit in June 2019. “Once the Afghans started using our paychecks as a personal piggy bank, that whole loophole disappeared.”
Platner made the comments under the name “P-Hustle,” a handle he admitted to using after an archive of his Reddit posts was <a href="https://themainemonitor.org/platner-reddit-comments/">reported</a> by the Maine Monitor. 
“Hell, with those DoD static contracts, those poor bastards literally are just making 65 a year,” Platner posted under the user name “P-Hustle” on a <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/USMC/comments/bx52aq/comment/eq4szvj/?sort=top">thread</a>. “Sadly, the Afghan tax f***ed everybody on the 330 game.&#8221;
That appears to be a reference to <a href="https://www.irs.gov/individuals/international-taxpayers/foreign-earned-income-exclusion-physical-presence-test">IRS regulations</a> allowing a significant portion of income to be exempt if a person spends at least 330 days in a foreign country during a 12-month period. This allows American military contractors to avoid paying higher federal income taxes if they spend significant time overseas. 
During the final decade of the United States’ military operation in Afghanistan, contractors said the Afghan government taxed their income significantly more than the bilateral agreements between the two countries allowed. In 2013, the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/audit-afghanistan-levied-93m-in-taxes-on-us-contractors-which-should-have-been-exempt/">found</a> that the Afghan government had levied $93 million in taxes on money that should have been exempt.
Platner went to Afghanistan multiple times, including once with the Maryland Army National Guard as an infantryman in 2010 and later in 2018 as a contractor for the State Department.
The Democrat has faced a barrage of criticism over past posts and statements in his bid to unseat Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME). These comments have ranged from posts calling the Virgin Mary a “skank” to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/deeply-disturbing-dem-candidates-sexually-explicit-porta-potty-posts-resurface?author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=3&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=‘Deeply+Disturbing’%3A+Dem+Candidate’s+Sexually+Explicit+Porta+Potty+Posts+Resurface">discussions</a> on masturbating in portable public toilets. 
“I still have to jerk off every time I sit in a portash*tter… that blue water smell conditioned me,” he wrote in March 2017 in a thread on nostalgic military smells. In <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/deeply-disturbing-dem-candidates-sexually-explicit-porta-potty-posts-resurface?author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=%E2%80%98Deeply+Disturbing%E2%80%99%3A+Dem+Candidate%E2%80%99s+Sexually+Explicit+Porta+Potty+Posts+Resurface">another thread</a> titled “GWOT Dick Art,” Platner described graffiti of a penis as “beautiful,” “engorged and veiny,” and moving “towards its penetrative glory,” according to Fox News. 
Platner has characterized many of his previous posts as jokes and apologized for his former comments about women. His campaign began with a burst of controversy when it was revealed that he had a tattoo on his chest that closely resembled a Totenkopf, the skull-and-crossbones emblem adopted by an infamous Nazi SS unit.
The Democrat <a href="https://www.mainepublic.org/politics/2025-10-22/democratic-senate-hopeful-graham-platner-gets-tattoo-of-nazi-symbol-covered-up" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> he received the tattoo while serving in the Marine Corps during a drunken night in Croatia and claimed he was unaware of its historical meaning at the time. The <a href="https://apnews.com/article/maine-platner-senate-trump-mills-tattoo-collins-fa8328a3c8aa5d5e0f34adb379e977b8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Associated Press</a> later confirmed that he had the tattoo covered once the comparison became public, saying he did not want a symbol associated with hate on his body.
As of this writing, Platner leads Collins by 7.5 points, <a href="https://www.realclearpolling.com/polls/senate/general/2026/maine/collins-vs-platner">according</a> to the RealClearPolitics polling average.

Democratic Senate Candidate For Maine Graham Platner Campaigns Around The State

Dem Candidate Complained About Thai Prostitute ‘Loophole’ Closing

Senate

Far-left Senate candidate Graham Platner (D-ME) has once again landed in hot water over a now-deleted Reddit post that appears to mock a wounded soldier.
The <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/platners-deleted-reddit-sparks-outrage-appears-mock-wounded-soldier-didnt-deserve-live">post</a>, written in 2019, was a brutal takedown of a viral video from the helmet-cam of Pfc. Ted Daniels during a 2012 firefight with the Taliban. Daniels received a Purple Heart after being shot four times during that firefight — but Platner argued in a post attributed to his old account, &#8220;P-hustle,&#8221; that Daniels did not &#8220;deserve to live&#8221; because he&#8217;d made &#8220;sh*t&#8221; decisions in combat.
&#8220;This video never gets old,&#8221; the commentary began. &#8220;Dumb motherf*cker didn&#8217;t deserve to live. At least his stupidity and fat-*ss wheezing are available for all future infantrymen to witness and hold in contempt. Poor marksmanship on the Taliban&#8217;s part is the only reason this mouth breather made it home, he managed to make every possible sh*t decision possible when it comes to small unit combat.&#8221;
Daniels, in later interviews, has explained that the actions he took were not tactically the best ones he could have made, but said that he had to make decisions in the moment he believed would &#8220;draw fire&#8221; away from others in his unit.
&#8220;I put my *ss on the line for other guys,&#8221; he said, even as he conceded it was not &#8220;a sound thing to do.&#8221;
Army Ranger veteran and Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) minced no words in his response to Platner&#8217;s comment: &#8220;Graham Platner is a lying, antisemitic fraud who has no business serving in the Senate.&#8221;
&#8220;Let’s see the courageous Democrat vets defend this one … can’t wait to hear it,&#8221; Navy SEAL veteran and Senator Tim Sheehy (R-MT) added.
Rep. and retired Navy SEAL Derrick Van Orden (R-WI) unloaded on Platner as well, saying, &#8220;This Nazi tattooed raging a*shole should be resoundingly condemned by every active duty military member and veteran. He is a disgrace to the uniform he previously wore and should be mocked and shamed.&#8221;
Platner has faced criticisms over a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nazi-tattoo-dem-blames-u-s-army-culture-for-ink-nasty-social-media-posts">Nazi tattoo</a> — which he recently had covered — as well as several offensive and vulgar social media posts, but still managed to rise as the Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate in Maine. He will face longtime incumbent Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) in November.

Platner Mocks Purple Heart Recipient In Resurfaced Post: ‘Didn’t Deserve To Live’

Far-Left Maine Candidate Says Wounded Soldier 'Didn't Deserve To Live'

Soldiers

Veterans

Maine Democrat Senate candidate Graham Platner made sexually explicit comments on social media about masturbating in portable public toilets, according to newly surfaced social media posts. 
&#8220;I still have to jerk off every time I sit in a portash*tter… that blue water smell conditioned me,” he wrote in March 2017 in a thread on nostalgic military smells, Fox News <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/unearthed-posts-show-dem-senate-hopeful-praising-vulgar-graffiti-making-crude-porta-potty-admissions">reported</a>.
In another reported thread titled “GWOT Dick Art,” Platner described graffiti of a penis as “beautiful,” “engorged and veiny,” and moving “towards its penetrative glory,” according to Fox News. 
The graffiti was found inside a portable toilet Platner used during one of his overseas deployments. Platner served three combat tours in Iraq as a Marine and went to Afghanistan in the infantry. 
&#8220;Oh sh*t!!!,&#8221; Platner added regarding the sexually explicit drawing in March 2021. &#8220;You’ve got the Hot Rod C*** from Manas!&#8221;
Describing his reaction to the explicit drawing, Platner said he “sat there in sheer awe&#8221; and was taken by &#8220;the soul filling joy to be allowed to witness such glory.&#8221;
Platner, looking to unseat Senator Susan Collins, made the most under the name &#8220;P-Hustle.” In the past, he has faced criticism for several vulgar posts he made from that account on women and Christianity. 
Platner’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 
National Republican Senatorial Committee spokeswoman Samantha Cantrell called Platner’s posts “disturbing.” 
&#8220;Graham Platner’s explicit sexual behavior in public restrooms is deviant and deeply disturbing, especially from a man who blamed victims of sexual assault for their own rapes,&#8221; she said in a statement. 
Platner previously faced criticism for Reddit posts he made <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/attack-ad-targets-democrat-over-vulgar-past-comments-about-women?author=Cameron+Arcand&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Attack+Ad+Targets+Democrat+Over+Vulgar+Past+Comments+About+Women">saying</a> that women should “act like an adult for f*** sake” and “not get so f***ed up they wind up having sex with someone they don’t mean to” if they are fearful of being raped.
He also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/democrat-under-fire-for-posts-calling-jesus-a-zombie-virgin-mary-a-skank?author=Cameron+Arcand&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Democrat+Darling+Under+Fire+For+Posts+Calling+Jesus+A+‘Zombie%2C’+Virgin+Mary+A+‘Skank’">called</a> the Virgin Mary a “skank” and said Jesus Christ was a “zombie.” 
“I’ve spent 8 years in the infantry, Marine Corps, and Army, and I’ve been about as crudely atheist as one can be the entire time (zombie jesus jokes and Mary sucking at covering up being a skank, as examples),” he wrote in 2012.
Platner has characterized many of his previous posts as jokes and apologized for his former comments about women.

Maine Senatorial Candidate Graham Platner Speaks To Voters During Town Hall

‘Deeply Disturbing’: Dem Candidate’s Sexually Explicit Porta Potty Posts Resurface

Reddit

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) endorsed populist veteran Graham Platner in Maine&#8217;s Democratic Senate primary on Thursday, further intensifying an already contentious race against Gov. Janet Mills.
Platner has also been backed by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), while Mills is supported by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY). The winner will face incumbent Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) in the November general election, which is expected to be competitive and costly.
“Graham Platner is the real deal,” Warren <a href="https://x.com/grahamformaine/status/2034603306404765726">said</a> in a video announcement. “He’s a fighter, and he’s ready to take that fight to Washington.”
Warren argued that Platner could help Democrats reclaim the Senate majority, currently held by Republicans, 53-47.
“Graham Platner has the grit to go against the grain and to fight for what is right,&#8221; she added, saying Platner exhibits the “fighting spirit that the Democratic Party needs now more than ever.”
Platner’s campaign faced numerous scandals last fall, including old Reddit posts from 2013 in which he described himself as a “communist” and made demeaning comments about women. He has since apologized for the remarks. He also faced scrutiny over a tattoo that critics said resembled a Nazi symbol, which he later covered.
The Mills campaign made the past Reddit comments a key focus of a new <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/attack-ad-targets-democrat-over-vulgar-past-comments-about-women?author=Cameron+Arcand&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=4&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Attack+Ad+Targets+Democrat+Over+Vulgar+Past+Comments+About+Women">ad</a> released earlier this week, specifically highlighting posts saying women should “act like an adult for f*** sake” and “not get so f***ed up they wind up having sex with someone they don’t mean to.”
“Just no way I could vote for you,” a woman says in the ad.
In response, Platner re-shared a previous apology video from October and said in a post on X that he “was horrified&#8221; by the comments and &#8220;did not recognize the man on the other side of the posts.”
Samantha Cantrell, a National Republican Senatorial Committee spokesperson, said that “Chuck Schumer&#8217;s handpicked candidate is so unpopular in Maine that Elizabeth Warren just endorsed a guy with a Nazi tattoo.”
Despite the past controversies, most polling averages show Platner leading Gov. Mills ahead of the June 9 primary, according to RealClearPolling. The Cook Political Report has the general election race ranked as a “toss-up.”
Collins, who has represented Maine since 1997, won re-election in 2020 with roughly 51% of the vote, defeating Democrat Sara Gideon, who received about 42%.

2024 Democratic National Convention: Day 4

Elizabeth Warren Makes Endorsement In Maine’s Bruising Democratic Senate Primary

2026 election

Congress

Elizabeth Warren

janet mills

Maine Democratic Gov. Janet Mills is targeting her populist primary opponent for the U.S. Senate with a new ad highlighting past comments he made on Reddit about women and sexual assault.
The ad, released Tuesday, features multiple women reacting to 2013 posts by Graham Platner in which he said women should “act like an adult for f*** sake” and “not get so f***ed up they wind up having sex with someone they don&#8217;t mean to” if they are fearful of being raped.
“That’s a horrible thing to say,” one woman, identified as Jill from South Portland, says in the ad.
“Just no way I could vote for you,” Peggy from Vassalboro, adds.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/grahamformaine?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@grahamformaine</a> blamed women for sexual assault, saying they should &#8220;take some responsibility for themselves&#8221; and &#8220;act like an adult.&#8221;
Here&#8217;s what Maine women had to say about his words. <a href="https://t.co/sztt7khZ4S">pic.twitter.com/sztt7khZ4S</a>
— Janet Mills (@JanetMillsforME) <a href="https://twitter.com/JanetMillsforME/status/2033861065289732184?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 17, 2026</a></blockquote>
Platner’s campaign dismissed the ad, with his campaign manager saying in a statement that it is “a desperate attempt for relevance from the governor, who is trailing an oyster farmer in every recent poll,&#8221; according to the <a href="https://x.com/aseitzwald/status/2033909477179543759?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Midcoast Villager</a>.
&#8220;Mainers know that Graham should not be defined by the worst thing he said on the internet over a decade ago,&#8221; the campaign manager added.
The comments previously drew backlash when they resurfaced last year. Platner responded at the time with an apology, which he reshared on Tuesday.
&#8220;Back in October, when my past internet comments resurfaced, I read through them. I was horrified and did not recognize the man on the other side of the posts,&#8221; Platner posted on X.
I shared my thoughts and apologies here directly with Mainers. And I’ve been talking with Mainers every day since, at town halls across the state.&#8221;
Platner, who is backed by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), has remained competitive in the primary despite the controversy. Mills has the support of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY).
Earlier on Tuesday, Platner released his own ad taking aim at Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), whom the Democratic nominee will face in the general election in November. The spot features a Maine voter, also named Susan Collins, who supports Platner.
Republicans say the Democrat infighting could benefit Sen. Collins.
“The girls are fighting! It doesn’t matter how the Chuck Schumer vs. Bernie Sanders proxy war ends, because both of these candidates will lose to Susan Collins,” National Republican Senatorial Committee spokesperson Samantha Cantrell told The Daily Wire.
The race is one of four Senate contests currently rated as a “toss-up” by the Cook Political Report, along with North Carolina, Georgia, and Michigan. Republicans hold a 53-47 majority in the chamber.

Graham Platner Maine

Attack Ad Targets Democrat Over Vulgar Past Comments About Women

A controversial Maine Democrat already dogged by questions over a tattoo resembling a Nazi symbol is again under fire after promoting an openly antisemitic conspiracy theorist — the latest episode in a pattern critics say underscores how radical and politically toxic he is.
Graham Platner, a 41-year-old Senate candidate seeking the Democratic nomination to take on incumbent Susan Collins (R-ME), faced backlash this week after amplifying a social media post about a looming war with Iran from Stew Peters, a neo-Nazi influencer known for Holocaust denial and antisemitic rhetoric. Platner <a href="https://www.bangordailynews.com/2026/02/26/politics/elections/graham-platner-stew-peters-post/">later deleted</a> the post, with his campaign claiming it was shared “in error” and removed immediately after discovering it elevated a “despicable account.”
But the incident was not isolated.
In late January, Platner <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/platner-sat-lengthy-interview-antisemitic-075439570.html">appeared</a> for an hour-long interview on Valhalla VFT, a YouTube show hosted by Nate Cornacchia, a retired Green Beret who has promoted conspiracy theories alleging Israeli involvement in high-profile assassinations and suggesting the global war on terror was conducted at the “behest of Israel.” During the interview, Platner described himself as “a longtime fan” of the show and said it was “an absolute pleasure” to appear.
Cornacchia has pushed claims tying Israel to the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk and agreed with assertions that President John F. Kennedy was “probably” killed in a covert joint operation between the CIA and Mossad. Platner’s campaign did not respond to Jewish Insider&#8217;s questions about Cornacchia’s remarks.
The controversy compounds scrutiny Platner has faced since last year over a tattoo on his chest that closely resembled a Totenkopf, the skull-and-crossbones emblem adopted by an infamous Nazi SS unit. Platner <a href="https://www.mainepublic.org/politics/2025-10-22/democratic-senate-hopeful-graham-platner-gets-tattoo-of-nazi-symbol-covered-up">said</a> he received the tattoo while serving in the Marine Corps during a drunken night in Croatia and claimed he was unaware of its historical meaning at the time. The <a href="https://apnews.com/article/maine-platner-senate-trump-mills-tattoo-collins-fa8328a3c8aa5d5e0f34adb379e977b8">Associated Press</a> later confirmed that he had the tattoo covered once the comparison became public, saying he did not want a symbol associated with hate on his body.
“For what it’s worth,” Maine Governor Janet Mills, who’s running against Platner in the Democratic primary for the Senate seat, quipped on <a href="https://x.com/JanetMillsforME/status/2027421147956969915">X</a> amid the controversy, “I don’t have any tattoos.”
In past posts, Platner has described U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East as being overly shaped by “foreign influence,” and has argued that Washington’s alliance structure requires “fundamental rethinking.” Critics say such rhetoric mirrors themes common in online spaces where antisemitic conspiracy theories flourish.
National Republicans have begun to take notice. A spokesperson for the National Republican Senatorial Committee blasted Platner this week, saying Democrats are “flirting with extremism” in a race they view as central to their hopes of regaining Senate control. Allies of Collins have also circulated screenshots of Platner’s deleted posts, arguing they raise serious questions about his judgment.
The Democratic primary race in Maine is expected to be one of the most closely watched Senate contests of the cycle. Democrats view the seat held by moderate Republican Collins as a key pickup opportunity. But Platner’s growing list of controversies, from boosting a neo-Nazi influencer to praising a YouTube host who traffics in antisemitic conspiracies, to the lingering fallout over his tattoo, threatens to complicate that strategy.

Dem Senate Darling Stumbles Into Third Nazi-Related Scandal Of Primary Campaign

Anti-Semitism

Democratic Party

Elections

Politics

Tennessee Sen. Bill Hagerty suggested on Sunday that Democrats’ fight against federal voter ID law is related to the millions of illegal aliens who entered the country under former President Joe Biden.
Hagerty appeared on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures” with host Maria Bartiromo to talk about Republicans’ efforts to pass the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act to enshrine voter ID into federal law.
“The American public are broadly in support of showing voter ID. It&#8217;s a north of 80% issue for the American public. You&#8217;ve got to ask yourself, who are the Democrats in the Senate representing? Over 70% of Democrats want this, yet we won&#8217;t have a single Democrat that will support it. Why is that?” said Hagerty.
The Tennessee Republican pointed to the Democratic push to pass HR-1, a federal overhaul of election law, in the first half of the Biden presidency. Under HR-1, the law would have <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/fact-check-did-house-democrats-vote-ban-voter-id-nationwide-hr-1-1573908">created</a> a workaround for people to avoid voter ID requirements in the dozens of states that have such laws.
Democrats “tried to come in and change to do away with voter ID across the nation, to enlist 16-year-olds to vote, felons to vote, using taxpayer dollars to support campaigns and, frankly, to pay their own candidates,” said Hagerty.
Voter ID requirements are an easy step to take to secure elections that do not unduly burden voters, and a federal law does not affect states’ constitutional duties to set the time, manner, and place of elections, Hagerty said.
The Tennessee Republican then suggested that Democratic resistance to a national voter ID requirement is part of a strategy to bolster Democrats’ chances of winning elections through illegal voting.
“It seems like it should be a no-brainer, but the reason that it&#8217;s not is because the Democrats under the Biden administration flooded this country with tens of millions of illegal aliens,” said Hagerty. “They want chaos in the elections. They want no voter ID. And so you&#8217;ve got to really ask yourselves, who do they represent and why are they trying to do this?”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Today, exclusively on <a href="https://twitter.com/SundayFutures?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SundayFutures</a> with <a href="https://twitter.com/MariaBartiromo?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MariaBartiromo</a>, Tennessee Senator Bill Hagerty <a href="https://twitter.com/BillHagertyTN?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BillHagertyTN</a> spoke about Democrats vowing to filibuster the GOP-Backed Voter ID Bill. <a href="https://twitter.com/FoxNews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FoxNews</a> <a href="https://t.co/2yy6vpvQb2">pic.twitter.com/2yy6vpvQb2</a>
— SundayMorningFutures (@SundayFutures) <a href="https://twitter.com/SundayFutures/status/2023071779644912091?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 15, 2026</a></blockquote>
The push to pass the SAVE Act received a key promise of support recently from Maine GOP Sen. Susan Collins, giving the SAVE Act majority support in the Senate. Republicans are still far short of the 60-vote threshold to override a filibuster.
Collins gave her support for the GOP election reform measure on the condition that Republicans do not strike down the filibuster to pass it.
“I support the version of the SAVE America Act that recently passed the House,” Collins said in a statement to <a href="https://www.themainewire.com/2026/02/exclusive-susan-collins-backs-save-america-act-but-wont-break-filibuster/">Maine Wire</a>. “The law is clear that in this country only American citizens are eligible to vote in federal elections. In addition, having people provide an ID at the polls, just as they have to do before boarding an airplane, checking into a hotel, or buying an alcoholic beverage, is a simple reform that will improve the security of our federal elections and will help give people more confidence in the results.”

Bill Hagerty

Republican Torches Democrats Over Issue Own Voters Overwhelmingly Back

2026 Midterms

Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) made her re-election bid official Tuesday, unboxing a pair of New Balance running shoes and announcing, “This is perfect for 2026, because I’m running.”
The announcement launches what is expected to be a fiercely competitive general election in Maine following speculation that Collins would retire instead, according to <a href="https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2025/07/16/congress/white-house-collins-maine-00459055" target="_blank" rel="noopener">POLITICO</a>.
The race has already grown contentious, especially in the Democratic primary between Gov. Janet Mills and populist Graham Platner. Platner has drawn scrutiny over past controversies, including a now-removed tattoo featuring a Nazi symbol and old <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dem-senate-hopeful-called-himself-a-communist-made-racist-comments-in-reddit-posts" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reddit</a> posts in which he described himself as a &#8220;communist.&#8221;
<iframe loading="lazy" title="UNBOXING 2026" width="422" height="750" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/O9N0SkDFjf0?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
“Susan Collins pledged to only serve two terms in the Senate,” Platner said in an <a href="https://x.com/grahamformaine/status/2021225664829886812">X</a> post responding to Collins’ launch. “That’s just one of a hundred reasons she doesn’t deserve a sixth term.”
Governor Mills said Sen. Collins “has had almost three decades to prove that she’s the right leader for Maine in this critical moment — and she&#8217;s failed. Seniority without a backbone is just tenure, and another term won’t fix that. It&#8217;s time for her to go.”
The <a href="https://www.cookpolitical.com/ratings/senate-race-ratings">Cook Political Report</a> currently rates the race as a toss-up. Collins faced a similarly high-stakes contest in 2020, when she defeated Democrat Sara Gideon with nearly 51% of the vote compared to Gideon&#8217;s roughly 42%.
The Republican lawmaker has secured the backing of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, which typically supports incumbents and contenders it views as best to win general elections.
“From protecting Social Security to supporting small businesses, no one works harder and is more dependable at delivering prosperity and opportunity,&#8221; NRSC Chairman Tim Scott said. &#8220;I’m confident Susan will defeat whoever emerges from the messy Democrat primary, because Mainers know they can always count on her.”
Collins has had a complicated relationship with President Donald Trump, who has publicly criticized her and other Republicans over past War Powers Resolution votes and at one point said they &#8220;should never be elected to office again.&#8221;
Despite past tensions, Collins, the chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, stood alongside Trump at the Oval Office signing ceremony last week, along with other lawmakers, as the partial government shutdown ended. She is the lone Republican in New England&#8217;s congressional delegation.

‘I’m Running’: Susan Collins Launches Re-Election Bid As GOP Fights To Hold Crucial Senate Seat

Republicans

Maine Republican Senator Susan Collins said Thursday that Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed to her that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) had ended “enhanced” operations in her state. 
Collins, who has been critical of the Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration, previously urged ICE to “pause” operations in both Minnesota and Maine. 
“While the Department of Homeland Security does not confirm law enforcement operations, I can report that Secretary Noem has informed me that ICE has ended its enhanced activities in the State of Maine,” Collins wrote on X. “There are currently no ongoing or planned large-scale ICE operations here. I have been urging Secretary Noem and others in the Administration to get ICE to reconsider its approach to immigration enforcement in the state.”
Collins added that she appreciated Noem’s “willingness to listen to and consider my recommendations and her personal attention to the situation in Maine. ICE and Customs and Border Patrol will continue their normal operations that have been ongoing here for many years.”
“I will continue to work with the Secretary on efforts to end illegal immigration, drug smuggling, and other transnational criminal activity,” Collins said. 
The Department of Homeland Security  told The Daily Wire that it would &#8220;continue to enforce the law across the country, as we do every day.&#8221;
On Tuesday, Collins<a href="https://x.com/SenatorCollins/status/2016300115116409332"> said</a> that she had spoken with both the White House and Noem about limiting the scope and target of immigration operations in Maine and Minnesota in the wake of the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by federal agents. 
Collins’ call for ICE to pause operations in Maine was echoed by Democrat Governor Janet Mills, who recently demanded that President Donald Trump withdraw ICE agents from Maine. Mills also demanded that ICE&#8217;s funding be cut and that Noem be brought before Congress to testify.
Last week, ICE <a href="https://www.dhs.gov/news/2026/01/21/ice-launches-operation-catch-day-targeting-worst-worst-criminal-illegal-aliens">launched</a> operation “Catch of the Day” in Maine to target illegal immigrants convicted of crimes. Those arrested as part of the operation included illegal immigrants arrested for aggravated assault, false imprisonment, and endangering the welfare of a child, according to DHS. In total, around 200 illegal immigrants were arrested as part of the operation. 
“Governor Mills and her fellow sanctuary politicians in Maine have made it abundantly clear that they would rather stand with criminal illegal aliens than protect law-abiding American citizens,” said Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. “We have launched Operation Catch of the Day to target the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens in the state.”

Senate Advances Plan To End Shutdown After Some Democrats Agree

GOP Senator Says ‘Enhanced’ ICE Operations Have Ended In Maine

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

Kristi Noem

The 2026 midterms are about as high-stakes as elections can be.
Thirty-five Senate seats are up for grabs next November, as are all 435 House seats. Republicans currently hold slim majorities in both houses of Congress — one that could get even slimmer with the<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/marjorie-taylor-greene-is-resigning-heres-what-happens-now?author=Amber+Jo+Cooper&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Marjorie+Taylor+Greene+Is+Resigning.+Here%E2%80%99s+What+Happens+Now." target="_blank" rel="noopener"> coming resignation</a> of Marjorie Taylor Greene. The results of the elections could shape the final two years of President Donald Trump&#8217;s time in the White House. The midterms will also loom over the 2028 presidential election, particularly for Democrats, who do not have an obvious candidate waiting in the wings.
We&#8217;re still a ways out, but many of the most crucial races are already heating up. Here are five races to keep an eye on.
<h3>Texas</h3>
The cycle&#8217;s most heated election began months ago when Trump ally and Texas Attorney General <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ken-paxton-to-probe-womens-weightlifting-competition-after-trans-identified-athlete-wins-gold?author=Tim+Pearce&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Ken+Paxton+To+Probe+Women%E2%80%99s+Weightlifting+Competition+After+Trans-Identified+Athlete+Wins+Gold" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ken Paxton</a> announced a challenge to longtime Sen. John Cornyn.
Paxton has argued that Cornyn is too establishment to continue representing the state, saying that “Cornyn’s Swamp friends are spending tens of millions of dollars to attack me.&#8221; Cornyn in turn has called Paxton a “conman and a fraud,&#8221; the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-senate-paxton-cornyn-bc9dcc271c97ad1d724383397e5807c6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Associated Press</a> reported earlier this year.
The winner of that primary will face off against either Colin Allred, a former congressman, or State Rep. James Talarico, who made national headlines in 2021 when he and a group of Democrat colleagues <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/democrats-who-fled-texas-to-subvert-democracy-mocked-for-playing-victim-card-you-guys-are-pathetic" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fled Texas</a> to prevent the state legislature from voting on bills they opposed. More recently, Talarico — who has pitched himself as a Christian Democrat — came under fire after it was revealed that he followed a number of <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/11/15/us-news/james-talarico-caught-following-more-onlyfans-models-and-prostitutes/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">OnlyFans models</a> on Instagram.
Rep. Jasmine Crockett, whose radical outbursts are almost too numerous to mention, is also weighing entering the race — which has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/crazy-radical-democrats-republicans-welcome-jasmine-crocketts-potential-senate-bid" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Republicans thrilled.</a>
<h3>Maine</h3>
Like John Cornyn, Susan Collins has caught plenty of flak from her fellow Republicans in recent years. But the moderate senator&#8217;s main concern as she runs for a fifth term comes from Democrats, not a primary challenger.
Maine Governor Janet Mills lost an early lead to populist upstart Graham Platner — though the oyster farmer blew an early lead with a series of scandals, including resurfaced <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dem-senate-hopeful-called-himself-a-communist-made-racist-comments-in-reddit-posts?author=Cameron+Arcand&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Dem+Senate+Hopeful+Called+Himself+A+Communist%2C+Made+Racist+Comments+In+Reddit+Posts" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reddit posts</a> in which he slammed cops and called himself a “communist,” and the revelation that he had a<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/graham-platner-has-known-about-his-tattoos-nazi-connotations-since-2012?author=Cameron+Arcand&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Graham+Platner+Has+Known+About+His+Tattoo%E2%80%99s+Nazi+Connotations+Since+2012" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Nazi symbol</a> tattooed on his chest.
Platner has been<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/graham-platners-treasurer-switch-marks-yet-another-exit-from-campaign" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> bleeding staff</a> in the wake of these revelations, including his campaign manager, political director, and national finance manager.
Despite all this, Platner still seems to be the Democrat to beat — though a<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/maine-voters-embrace-susan-collins-the-more-they-learn-about-graham-platner-poll?author=Cameron+Arcand&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Maine+Voters+Embrace+Susan+Collins+The+More+They+Learn+About+Graham+Platner%3A+Poll" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> recent poll</a> found that voters favor Collins the more they learn about Platner.
<h3>Michigan</h3>
In Michigan, Rep. Haley Stevens, state Sen. Mallory McMorrow, and Abdul El-Sayed are seeing who can run furthest to the Left.
McMorrow recently held a fundraiser with a leftist blogger who <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/michigan-democrat-teams-up-with-leftist-blogger-who-mocked-charlie-kirk-after-assassination" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mocked</a> Charlie Kirk&#8217;s assassination. Stevens, who endorsed by former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), once <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-democratic-lawmaker-screams-at-constituents-over-nra-support" target="_blank" rel="noopener">screamed at her constituents</a> for supporting the Second Amendment. And El-Sayed, who&#8217;s backed by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), blamed Israel for &#8220;invading&#8221; Gaza in October 2023, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dem-senate-candidate-accuses-israel-of-invading-gaza-in-oct-7-fundraising-email" target="_blank" rel="noopener">failing to mention</a> that the &#8220;invasion&#8221; in question was a military response to Hamas&#8217;s October 7 massacre of Israeli civilians.
Whichever Democrat emerges victorious from the fray will face off against <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/former-michigan-gop-congressman-launches-2nd-senate-bid-after-coming-up-short-in-2024" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mike Rogers</a>, a Trump-endorsed former congressman who lost his 2024 Senate race by a tiny margin.
<h3>Ohio</h3>
Rogers isn&#8217;t the only lawmaker staging a political comeback in 2026. In Ohio,<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ohio-dem-sherrod-brown-plots-senate-comeback?author=Daniel+Chaitin&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Ohio+Dem+Sherrod+Brown+Plots+Senate+Comeback" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Sherrod Brown</a> — a longtime leftist fixture in the Upper Chamber who fell last year to Republican Bernie Moreno — is running against Republican Sen. Jon Husted, who was tapped to fill Vice President JD Vance&#8217;s seat.
Brown was dogged with allegations of hypocrisy throughout his time in the Senate, something The Daily Wire<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ohio-dem-sherrod-brown-plots-senate-comeback" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> frequently covered</a>. The leftist was slammed for taking <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ohio-democrat-senator-took-thousands-of-dollars-in-donations-from-pharma-companies-at-center-of-opioid-crisis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">donations</a> from drug companies at the center of the opioid crisis and<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/east-palestine-is-still-suffering-but-ohios-democrat-senator-took-time-for-a-hollywood-fundraiser" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> attending</a> a ritzy Hollywood fundraiser while constituents worried about the water quality at their home after the 2023 train derailment in East Palestine.
<h3>California</h3>
Of all the House seats up for grabs in 2026 — and, remember, that&#8217;s all of them — the most closely-watched is California, where Democrats are fighting to fill former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi&#8217;s soon-to-be-vacated seat.
Pelosi <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/potential-pelosi-successor-pushed-a-bill-so-woke-even-the-new-york-times-has-doubts" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> wants San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan to succeed her. But the candidate to beat is California State Senator Scott Wiener, a man so radical that even the New York Times <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/potential-pelosi-successor-pushed-a-bill-so-woke-even-the-new-york-times-has-doubts" target="_blank" rel="noopener">has its doubts</a> about him.
From radical trans activism to legalizing prostitution and pedophilia, there&#8217;s almost nothing Wiener doesn&#8217;t want the state to permit — unless of course parents don&#8217;t want their minor children to undergo radical gender procedures, in which case he thinks the state should be able to take custody of those children.
Wiener&#8217;s record is almost too insane to believe, but The Daily Wire recently published the definitive account of this wannabe congressman. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/meet-scott-wiener-nancy-pelosis-likely-replacement-probably-thinks-youre-a-bigot" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Give it a read here.</a>
<h3>Georgia</h3>
Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff will be defending his seat against a Republican challenger yet to be determined. The current frontrunners are Reps. Mike Collins and Buddy Carter, and former University of Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley.
The race is expected to be extraordinarily expensive, as Ossoff already has $21 million in cash on hand, according to Federal Election Commission<a href="https://www.fec.gov/data/candidate/S8GA00180/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> data</a>. Although it&#8217;s unclear who the nominee on the Republican side will be, millions are already pouring in for the individual candidates at this stage,<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/inside-the-expensive-race-to-unseat-a-vulnerable-democratic-senator" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> The Daily Wire</a> reported in October.
Ossoff most recently made waves for his vote against reopening the government, a vote that Republicans will likely lord over him throughout the cycle.
<h3>But Wait, There&#8217;s More&#8230;</h3>
North Carolina’s Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper is set to square off against Republican Michael Whatley. Former Senators John Sununu and Scott Brown are <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ex-gop-senator-enters-highly-competitive-race-in-hopes-to-flip-new-hampshire-red" target="_blank" rel="noopener">duking it out</a> in a New Hampshire primary. Redistricting battles are sure to make house races <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/americas-redistricting-battle-keeps-getting-messier" target="_blank" rel="noopener">spicy</a> in Texas, Indiana, North Carolina, and more. And just for fun, the weirdest scion of the Kennedy family is running alongside about a dozen other Democrats to represent a district in the heart of Zohran Mamdani&#8217;s Manhattan.
It&#8217;s going to be a heck of a cycle. Stick with The Daily Wire, we&#8217;ll be covering it all!

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These Are The Most Important Races To Watch In The 2026 Midterms

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Jon Ossoff

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