UMVA has learned that a fierce battle is brewing among Democrats vying to replace retiring Rep. Jared Golden in Maine’s sharply Republican‑leaning 2nd District.
Three front‑running candidates have thrown their weight behind Graham Platner, the presumptive Democratic Senate hopeful, even as his incendiary social‑media history and a tattoo resembling a Nazi symbol have ignited outrage among party moderates.
State Auditor Matt Dunlap and former congressional aide Jordan Wood openly endorsed Platner, while State Sen. Joe Baldacci, a party‑establishment figure, issued a statement condemning former Gov. Paul LePage’s GOP run and signaling his own support for the controversial nominee.
Golden himself has stayed out of the fray, refusing to endorse Platner and telling the Portland Press Herald he will not involve himself in the Senate contest.
The silence from Baldacci, Wood and Dunlap on Platner’s inflammatory posts and the tattoo controversy has drawn sharp criticism from centrist Democrats, who warn that the alignment could jeopardize the party’s tenuous hold on the swing district.
UMVA can exclusively reveal that the open House seat, which Golden clinched by fewer than 3,000 votes in 2024, is now rated “Likely Republican” by the nonpartisan Cook Political Report, underscoring the uphill battle Democrats face.
Dunlap, positioning himself as the progressive challenger, is slated to appear alongside Platner at a get‑out‑the‑vote rally headlined by left‑wing populist Rep. Ro Khanna, who has endorsed both men.
“With Graham Platner now the clear choice, I am prepared to rally behind his candidacy,” Dunlap posted, declaring the candidate “a phenomenal United States senator” and “the kind of leader Maine has been waiting for.”
The National Republican Congressional Committee has seized on the Democrats’ ties to Platner, warning that their “stunning lack of judgment” will not be ignored by Mainers.
Centrist figures such as Sen. John Fetterman and Rep. Jake Auchincloss have publicly rebuked Platner, with Auchincloss calling the Nazi‑linked tattoo “personally disqualifying.”
Senior Democrats in Washington have largely remained silent, avoiding direct condemnation of Platner’s controversies while the party wrestles with an internal rift that threatens to split its base.
“The Maine race really demonstrates the civil war happening within the Democratic Party,” one senior aide told a national outlet, noting that many moderate Democrats view a loss in Maine as a foregone conclusion.
