Senate Pickup Watch

Platner vs. Collins Is Set as Democrats Probe Red-State Openings

Wednesday, June 10, 2026 · 11 min

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Graham Platner won Maine’s Democratic Senate primary, setting up the Susan Collins showdown Democrats likely need for a majority, while new outside spending in Texas and Mississippi shows the party testing how far affordability messages can stretch the map.

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Graham Platner won Maine’s Democratic Senate primary, setting up the Susan Collins showdown Democrats likely need for a majority, while new outside spending in Texas and Mississippi shows the party testing how far affordability messages can stretch the map.

In this episode

  1. Graham Platner to win Maine Democratic Senate primary and face Sen. Susan Collins — Yahoo News

    Graham Platner to win Maine Democratic Senate primary and face Sen. Susan Collins Advertisement Advertisement ## Top Stories: Washington — Democrat Graham Platner and GOP Sen. Susan Collins will face off in a November contest that could determine which party controls the Senate next year, a race that was shaken up in recent weeks by a spate of allegations against Platner. Platner won the…

  2. Defying Trump may help Collins in Maine while it hurts other GOP incumbents | AP News — AP News

    # Defying Trump may help Collins in Maine while it hurts other GOP incumbents | AP News Published: 2026-06-10T09:01:43+00:00 Source: uat.apnews.com (uat.apnews.com) Language: en ## Story Defying Trump may help Collins in Maine while it hurts other GOP incumbents | AP News # Defying Trump ended some Republicans’ careers. It could help Susan Collins win reelection in Maine Sen. Susan Collins,…

  3. Platner is poised to win Maine's Democratic primary, but it's still a test — Boston Globe

    Platner is poised to win Maine's Democratic primary, but it's still a test Voters cast their ballots at a polling station inside the Augusta Civic Center on Tuesday, June 9.CJ Gunther/Getty BANGOR, Maine — For populist insurgent Graham Platner, Maine’s Senate primary election had been shaping up as a coronation. All of a sudden, it’s looking more like a test. When Maine Democrats’ ballots are…

  4. New pro-Talarico super PAC wants to give GOP voters “permission to defect” — KWTX

    # New pro-Talarico super PAC wants to give GOP voters “permission to defect” Published: 2026-06-09T21:00:10.367000+00:00 Source: kwtx.com (kwtx.com) Language: en ## Story A bipartisan group of federal campaign operatives is launching a new super PAC in support of state Rep. James Talarico, the Democratic U.S. Senate nominee, with plans to hammer Republicans’ standard-bearer, Ken Paxton, on his…

  5. Democratic super PAC investing $2M on Colom's challenge of Hyde-Smith, part of $50M national effort - Mississippi Today — Mississippi Today

    # Democratic super PAC investing $2M on Colom's challenge of Hyde-Smith, part of $50M national effort - Mississippi Today Published: 2026-06-09T12:11:47-05:00 Source: mississippitoday.org (mississippitoday.org) Language: en ## Story A Democratic political group announced on Tuesday that it will spend $2 million on Mississippi’s U.S. Senate race between incumbent Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith and…