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Graham Platner Had a Much Better Primary Result Than Lindsey Graham

The anti-establishment Democrat in Maine won much bigger than the establishment Republican in South Carolina.

Two high-profile Grahams faced voters in US Senate primaries this week: Graham Platner, the outsider Maine Democrat mounting his first campaign; and Lindsey Graham, the insider incumbent seeking a fifth term, in a South Carolina Republican contest.

Graham Platner had been the subject of intense national scrutiny and late-breaking headlines about personal controversies—what Maine Public media described as “a withering blitz of unflattering revelations and ongoing attempts by Republicans and some Democratic operatives to weaken his candidacy.” The attention was bruising enough that Maine Governor Janet Mills, who had suspended her own Senate campaign after trailing Platner badly in the polls, delivered a high-profile, pre-primary reminder that she was still on the ballot and still eligible for votes. Platner’s populist campaign against billionaire elites, which attracted enthusiastic support from small donors and grassroots volunteers, also faced 2024 Democratic US Senate nominee David Costello, a veteran state and federal official, who was actively campaigning.

Lindsey Graham, the onetime critic of Donald Trump who now enjoys strong support from the president, looked to be in a far better political position. He was running with the backing of the Republican political establishment in a red state where the party has grown into a muscular force over the 62 years since segregationist Democratic US Senator Strom Thurmond switched his allegiance to the GOP. Graham also, according to Politico, enjoyed an enormous financial advantage, “combining with his allies to spend over $18 million in television and digital ads touting his record and endorsement from President Donald........

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