Maine Votes as Graham Platner’s Past Poses New Conundrums

About this episode

<p>On Tuesday, Maine will vote in a high-stakes primary contest for a Senate seat that Democrats think they can win back from Republicans for the first time in decades. Democrats are pinning their hopes on Graham Platner, a progressive who has faced a string of scandals.</p> <p>Today, Lisa Lerer and Katie Glueck discuss what this race means for Maine and for the prospects of the Democratic Party.</p> <p>Guest: </p> <ul> <li><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/by/lisa-lerer" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><strong>Lisa Lerer</strong></a>, a national political correspondent for The New York Times.</li> <li><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/by/katie-glueck" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><strong>Katie Glueck</strong></a>, a political reporter at The New York Times.</li> </ul> <p>Background reading: </p> <ul> <li>Several <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/04/us/politics/platner-maine-senate-girlfriends-relationships.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">women who dated Mr. Platner recall “unsettling” behavior</a>.</li> <li><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/05/us/politics/platner-democrats-maine-senate-primary-election.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Politicians, officials and strategists have wrestled with how to respond</a> to new reporting on Mr. Platner’s past behavior.</li> </ul> <p>Photo: Amanda Sabga/Reuters</p> <p>For more information on today’s episode, visit <a href="http://nytimes.com/thedaily?smid=pc-thedaily" rel="noopener noreferrer">nytimes.com/thedaily</a>. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. </p> <p><p>Subscribe today at <a href="http://nytimes.com/podcasts">nytimes.com/podcasts</a> or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher">https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher</a>. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app.</p></p><br/> <p>Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See <a href="https://pcm.adswizz.com">pcm.adswizz.com</a> for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.</p>