Graham Platner looks to unite Maine Democrats as their ‘presumptive’ Senate nominee

2026 ElectionGraham Platner looks to unite Maine Democrats as their ‘presumptive’ Senate nomineeMaine Democratic Party convention-goers were relieved to focus on the general election, but some had mixed feelings about their prospects against GOP Sen. Susan Collins.Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00Graham Platner, a Maine Democrat and U.S. Senate candidate, during an interview in York on Apr. 17.Sofia Aldinio for NBC NewsShareAdd NBC News to GoogleMay 2, 2026, 10:18 PM EDTBy Bridget BowmanPORTLAND, Maine — Before Graham Platner dove into the meat of his speech at the Maine Democratic Party Convention Saturday night, where he said it is “very odd but deeply humbling” to be the “presumptive nominee” for Senate, he first thanked his former opponent, Gov. Janet Mills. Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.A smattering of party delegates rose to their feet and applauded. body:has(.jw-flag-floating) .article-hero__container, body:has(.jw-flag-floating) .article-hero__media-holder, body:has(.jw-flag-floating) #content { z-index: auto; } Add NBC News to Google‘Jarring disconnect’: Maine voters at odds with Democratic leadership in high-stakes Senate primary08:30Jens Dill was one of them. A 72-year-old retired software engineer from Winthrop, he had long been behind Platner in the primary ahead of a tough race against GOP Sen. Susan Collins. But Dills still wanted to acknowledge Mills’ run.“She gave [Platner] enough challenge to get his campaign off the ground and organized, and she stepped down when she saw that it was time,” Dill said. “And she sent a message to Susan Collins: This guy knocked me out of the race. You’re next.”That eagerness to look ahead to the November election was palpable at the biennial party meeting on the Portland waterfront, according to interviews with two dozen Democratic delegates. In the last week, they have watched a high-profile primary evaporate in the wake of Mill...