Graham Platner, Susan Collins tied in Maine Senate race post-sexting scandal, new poll shows

Sen.Susan Collins (R-Maine) has pulled into a tie with embattled Democratic candidate Graham Platner following revelations that he sexted up to a dozen women on the skeevy chat app Kik while married.The poll by Republican firm Fabrizio, Lee & Associates on behalf of the pro-Collins Pine Tree Results PAC showed Collins and Platner each receiving 46% support among likely voters, with 8% undecided.

The results were first reported by Politico.“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,” pollsters Tony Fabrizio, David Lee and Travis Tunis wrote.“Senator Collins and her allies need to muster the resources to keep the pressure on Platner as the Democrat money machine tries to salvage Platner’s candidacy.”In an ominous sign for Platner, the survey showed nearly half (49%) of respondents had an unfavorable view of the Democrat compared to 29% who had the same opinion in January.

The candidate’s net favorability rating had also plunged into negative territory, with just 40% holding a favorable view — and only 4% saying they had never heard of Platner.In addition, 59% of respondents said that the revelations about Platner’s Kik activity would make them less likely to vote for him, while 33% said it would make no difference in their support.The poll was taken before the New York Times published a story Thursday in which former girlfriends of Platner accused him of physical abuse and misogynistic behavior.Platner confirmed his sexting activity in an interview with MS NOW Thursday night, but denied the claims in the Times report as “just not true.”The Fabrizio, Lee & Associates poll surveyed 800 likely Maine voters June 1-3, with a margin of error of plus-or-minus 3.5 percentage points....