Kevin Brown, newly hired to run Graham Platner’s Maine Senate campaign, has left the job days after starting, citing a family development. The exit adds to recent turbulence for the Democrat’s bid as controversies over old Reddit posts and a Nazi-linked tattoo continue to reverberate. Platner remains locked in a volatile primary that now includes Governor Janet Mills.
Graham Platner, a progressive oyster farmer and Marine veteran running for the U.S. Senate in Maine, lost his campaign manager on Monday when Kevin Brown stepped down less than a week after taking the post. Brown said he learned Friday that his family is expecting a baby and that the campaign needed someone who could commit fully. “Graham is a dear friend. I started this campaign Tuesday but found out Friday we have a baby on the way,” he said in a statement first reported by Axios and published by Politico. Local outlet WMTW reported Brown began Oct. 21 and departed within days. (politicalwire.com)
Brown’s departure comes after the earlier resignation of Platner’s political director, Genevieve McDonald. Politico previously reported that Platner had hired Brown — a veteran Democratic operative who worked on the campaigns of Barack Obama and Elizabeth Warren — as part of a broader shake-up. The campaign also brought on an in-house attorney and retained Spruce Street Consulting for compliance, and it circulated non-disclosure agreements to staff, steps the campaign described as part of formalizing operations. McDonald said she declined to sign; the campaign later voided the NDA, Politico reported. (politico.com)
The personnel churn follows weeks of scrutiny over Platner’s old Reddit comments, including posts that endorsed armed political action, minimized concerns about sexual assault in the military, and described himself as a communist — remarks he says reflected a low point after deployments and do not represent his current views. The Washington Post and Politico have documented the posts; Platner has apologized and attributed some of his rhetoric to untreated PTSD at the time. (washingtonpost.com)
Platner has also faced criticism over a skull-and-crossbones tattoo that resembles the Nazi Totenkopf symbol. After acknowledging the controversy last week, he said he had the tattoo covered and posted a video and statement on X: “I was appalled to learn it closely resembled a Nazi symbol… I am very sorry to all of you who had to contemplate a symbol of hate.” In a podcast appearance, he said he is “not a secret Nazi.” CBS News and other outlets reported his statement and cover-up; Politico detailed the backlash and timeline. (cbsnews.com)
Dispute persists over what Platner knew and when. McDonald has argued he should have altered the tattoo sooner, saying he understood its implications; and Jewish Insider reported an acquaintance recalled Platner referring to it as “my Totenkopf” in 2012. The Washington Post reported McDonald’s contention that he had known “for years,” while Politico noted reporting that an acquaintance made the 2012 claim. Platner has denied long knowing the symbol’s Nazi association. (washingtonpost.com)
Despite establishment backing for Gov. Janet Mills since she entered the race this month, recent polling paints a mixed picture of the Democratic primary. A University of New Hampshire Survey Center poll conducted Oct. 16–21 showed Platner leading Mills 58% to 24% among likely primary voters. A separate survey by SoCal Strategies, conducted Oct. 21–25 and reported by polling aggregator FiftyPlusOne and Maine outlets, found Mills ahead 41% to 36%. (Methodologies differ; SoCal’s survey used an online panel.) (scholars.unh.edu)
The primary winner will challenge the Republican-held seat of Sen. Susan Collins in November 2026. Mills officially entered the race on Oct. 14, setting up a high-profile clash with Platner, Reuters reported. (reuters.com)