Governor Janet Mills Launches Aggressive Attack Ad Targeting Opponent Graham Platner Over Past Derogatory Remarks

Governor Janet Mills releases a scathing attack ad highlighting Graham Platner’s past comments on rape victims and a controversial Nazi tattoo.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 18, 2026, 6:50 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from Washington Examiner

A Strategic Shift Toward Negative Campaign Messaging

Governor Janet Mills has moved away from her previous focus on policy achievements to directly challenge the character of her opponent, Graham Platner. The newly released campaign video features testimony from four women who condemn Platner’s historical online behavior as disqualified for public office. While Mills has spent the majority of her second term as governor emphasizing her legislative record, this latest media blitz suggests a calculated effort to define her challenger before the June primary.

Resurfacing Controversial Social Media Posts and Personal History

The core of the attack centers on Reddit posts from 2013 in which Platner allegedly made disparaging comments toward survivors of sexual violence. According to the advertisement, Platner suggested that women should take more personal responsibility for avoiding assault, using language that the ad's participants described as bullying and disgusting. The footage also includes images of a shirtless Platner displaying an SS skull tattoo, a visual that previously caused a significant stir in the campaign during the autumn months.

Platner Issues Apology and Redirects Toward Grassroots Progress

In response to the aggressive ad campaign, Graham Platner has stood by a previous apology issued to the residents of Maine. The forty-one year old oyster farmer expressed horror at his past internet persona, claiming he no longer recognizes the person who authored those comments. Platner’s campaign manager, Ben Chin, dismissed the advertisement as a desperate move by an establishment politician, while Platner himself emphasized his daily interactions with voters at town halls as evidence of his personal growth and transformation.