Graham Platner’s rise is colliding with one of the most explosive questions in American politics: what to do about the Supreme Court. A former Marine and military contractor turned Democrat, he’s not flirting with half-measures. He calls the Court a “political action wing” of conservatism, backs expanding it, imposing new ethics rules, and even impeaching at least two sitting justices if Democrats control the Senate.
Across the battlefield from him stands Susan Collins, a veteran Republican senator whose brand is moderation and survival in hostile territory. Polls show her trailing a generic Democrat and now facing a challenger promising to wield raw institutional power, not bipartisanship. Collins’ path may depend on backing extended Obamacare tax credits to hold moderates and swing voters. Maine’s 2026 race is no longer just about one seat — it’s a referendum on how far either side is willing to go to remake American justice.
