A new poll shows Susan Collins and Democratic challenger Graham Platner statistically tied in Maine’s 2026 Senate race, marking a dramatic reversal from just weeks earlier when Platner held a commanding lead in the general election matchup.
The poll by Republican firm Fabrizio, Lee & Associates, conducted June 1-3 and released June 5, found Collins and Platner each receiving 46% support among likely voters, with 8% undecided. The survey of 800 likely Maine voters carried a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.
The tightening race reflects a sharp collapse in Platner’s favorability following revelations in late May that he had engaged in sexting with multiple women while married. Platner’s unfavorable rating surged to 49% in the Fabrizio poll, compared to just 29% in January, according to the New York Post. His net favorability plunged into negative territory, with 40% viewing him favorably and only 4% saying they had never heard of him.
Pollsters attributed the shift to voter reaction to the emerging allegations. “It is clear that the more voters learn about Platner the more they find they don’t like him, making the Senate race HIGHLY competitive,” wrote pollsters Tony Fabrizio, David Lee and Travis Tunis in their analysis.
A UMass Lowell poll conducted earlier in May showed Platner ahead by 5 points, with 48% support to Collins’ 43%. That survey, released June 4, was fielded before the sexting revelations emerged. The timing proved critical—the UMass Lowell director of survey research noted at the time that the poll was conducted “days before news outlets reported allegations of sexually explicit text messages involving Platner.”
The New York Times subsequently published accounts from former girlfriends of Platner alleging physical abuse and misogynistic behavior, adding to the negative coverage. Platner confirmed the sexting activity in a television interview but denied the abuse allegations as “just not true.”
The race remains one of the most competitive in the country heading into the November general election. According to RealClearPolitics’ average of public polls released before the scandal, Platner still holds a 7.4-point advantage, though that aggregate may not yet fully reflect the impact of the recent controversies. Collins, a five-term incumbent, was honored on the Senate floor on June 5 for casting her 10,000th consecutive vote, a streak dating to January 1997.
Sources
- New York Post — reported the Fabrizio, Lee & Associates poll showing Collins and Platner tied at 46% each, with details on Platner’s favorability collapse and the sexting scandal
- UMass Lowell — released poll showing Platner with 48% to Collins’ 43%, fielded May 13-26
- RealClearPolitics — provided poll average showing Platner +7.4 percentage points
