New Graham Platner Ad Comes Out Swinging Against Collins
Sam Stein and Lauren Egan give their takes on the first ads from Maine Senate candidates Graham Platner and Susan Collins.
Sam Stein and Lauren Egan give their takes on the first ads from Maine Senate candidates Graham Platner and Susan Collins. The two campaigns couldn’t be more different. Platner comes out aggressively, launching a hard-hitting populist message that goes straight at Collins’ record and frames the race as part of a broader fight over power, Trump, and the direction of the country. Meanwhile, Susan Collins responds with a very different strategy: a nostalgic, local-focused ad centered on a decade-old infrastructure win in Maine. Sam and Lauren dig into what these opening ads reveal about each campaign’s theory of the race, whether Collins’ long-standing strengths still hold in today’s environment, and how Platner is betting that going on offense early will define her before she can define him.
Tickets for our Bulwark Live shows in San Diego and Los Angeles in May: https://thebulwark.com/events
As always: Watch, listen, and leave a comment. Bulwark+ Takes is home to short videos, livestreams, and event archives exclusively for Bulwark+ members.
Add Bulwark+ Takes feed to your player of choice, here.
Join Bulwark+ to unlock the rest
Become a paying member of The Bulwark to get access to this post and other subscriber-only content. A subscription gets you:
- Unlimited access to articles and newsletters including The Triad by JVL and Receipts by Catherine Rampell.
- Ad-free editions of our shows (with transcripts) and member-only shows like The Secret Podcast.
- Plus community chats and commenting features. Your support helps keep our work sustainable and available to those who cannot afford a membership. Cancel anytime.

