Is Platner too “authentic”?

Jun 10, 2026 26 min

About this episode

Senate candidate Graham Platner swept the Maine Democratic primary no problem. The question is whether his "authenticity" can carry him past his scandals to a win in November. This episode was produced by Danielle Hewitt, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, fact-checked by Gabriel Dunatov, engineered by David Tatasciore and Patrick Boyd, and hosted by Noel King. Graham Platner at an event with voters in Portland, Maine. Photo by Laura Brett/Getty Images. Listen to Today, Explained ad-free by becoming a Vox Member: vox.com/members. New Vox members get $20 off their membership right now. Transcript at ⁠vox.com/today-explained-podcast.⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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