According to a new poll, a majority of young Democrats still back Maine Democratic Senate hopeful Graham Platner following fallout over his chest tattoo.
A video emerged in October of Platner with a tattoo on his chest which resembles the Totenkopf, or “death’s head,” a symbol adopted by the SS. Platner previously told Newsweek that he had no idea of the tattoo’s associations and said, “I absolutely would not have gone through life having this on my chest if I knew that—and to insinuate that I did is disgusting.”
He added: “I am already planning to get this removed.”
Newsweek has contacted Platner and Mills via email for comment outside of regular working hours on Sunday.
Why It Matters
Platner, 41, is running in the Democratic primary to face incumbent Republican Senator Susan Collins in the 2026 midterm elections. Also running to unseat Collins is the state’s incumbent governor, Janet Mills, who is term limited. Collins, meanwhile, is widely seen as being one of the most vulnerable Republican senators.
Democrats are hoping to seize control of the Senate in 2026 after losing it to Republicans in last year’s election. Maine backed then-Vice President Kamala Harris by roughly seven points in 2024’s presidential election against President Donald Trump.
Platner is a first-time political candidate, veteran, and oyster farmer, who has positioned himself as critical of the Democratic establishment, describes himself as a “foe of the oligarchy,” on social media, and has been endorsed by Senator Bernie Sanders, a Vermont independent who caucuses with the Democratic Party.
The revelation about Platner’s chest tattoo may impact his popularity with voters in the Democratic primary. However, this new poll indicates that at least among young voters, controversies tied to extremist symbols may not turn the dial with their loyalties, highlighting a potential limit of the impact of scandals in modern campaigns and a potential shift in political tolerance.
What To Know
According to the Anti-Deformation League (ADL), the Totenkopf was adopted by the SS and was particularly associated with the SS-Totenkopfverbande, which was responsible for guarding concentration camps.
The U.S. military has a policy that checks for extremist, racist and sexist tattoos. Platner has previously said he had never tried to hide his tattoo and had passed security clearance to join the Army National Guard after leaving the Marines and later for the State Department when he worked as security detail for the U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan.
The recent poll comes from a SoCal Strategies Survey of the Democratic Primary for Senate in Maine. It found that initially, Mills held a 5-point lead over Platner (41 percent to 36 percent), with a fifth of respondents saying they were undecided.
When voters were informed of the scandal surrounding Platner’s tattoo, Mills’ lead increased 30 points (59 percent to 29 percent).
Despite this general shift, Platner’s lead with young people has stayed strong. Among voters aged between 18 and 29, Platner had a lead (56 percent to 17 percent) against Mills. Support among these voters continued when they were informed of Platner’s tattoo scandal, with the demographic favoring him (52 percent to 31 percent.)
The poll surveyed 500 likely Democratic primary voters from October 21-25 and used the online Pollfish panel. Respondents were only registered voters living in Maine.
What People Are Saying
Graham Platner wrote in a Wednesday X post that has been viewed 7 million times: “Years ago I got a skull and crossbones tattoo with my buddies in the Marine Corps. I was appalled to learn it closely resembled a Nazi symbol. I altered it yesterday, into something that isn’t deeply offensive to my core beliefs. I am very sorry to all of you who had to contemplate a symbol of hate over the past 48 hours.”
Senator Bernie Sanders, a Vermont independent, said last week during an appearance on The Axios Show: “He went through a dark period in his life. I suspect that Graham Platner is not the only American to have gone through a dark period…I think what we have got to do as a nation is not focus on a tattoo. We’ve got to focus on a system which in many ways is collapsing.”
Governor Janet Mills wrote in a post on X on October 19: “I’m the only person who can beat Susan Collins. Let’s do this.”
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, said on Tuesday during a press conference: “We think that Janet Mills is the best candidate to retire Susan Collins. She’s a tested two-term governor and the people of Maine have an enormous amount of affection and respect for her.”
What Happens Next?
Maine’s primary election is set for June 2026.
