Susan Collins Ties Graham Platner in Maine Senate Race After Kik Sexting Scandal

Sen. Susan Collins is suddenly back in the fight in Maine.

A new poll shows the longtime Republican senator pulling into a dead heat with embattled Democratic Senate hopeful Graham Platner after damaging revelations that he sexted up to a dozen women on the chat app Kik while married.

The survey, conducted by Republican polling firm Fabrizio, Lee & Associates on behalf of the pro-Collins Pine Tree Results PAC, found Collins and Platner tied at 46% among likely Maine voters, with 8% still undecided.

The results, first reported by Politico, mark a dramatic tightening in a race Democrats had increasingly viewed as a prime pickup opportunity.

“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,” they added.

The numbers suggest Platner’s political standing has taken a major hit as controversy surrounding his personal life continues to escalate.

According to the poll, 49% of likely voters now hold an unfavorable view of Platner — a sharp jump from the 29% who viewed him negatively back in January.

His favorability rating has now slipped underwater, with just 40% of voters holding a favorable opinion of the Democrat candidate. Only 4% of respondents said they had never heard of him, signaling the controversy has broken through statewide.

The survey also found that 59% of respondents said the revelations surrounding Platner’s Kik activity made them less likely to support him, while just 33% said the reports made no difference.

The poll was conducted before an additional controversy erupted Thursday, when The New York Times published allegations from former girlfriends accusing Platner of physical abuse and misogynistic behavior.

Platner denied those allegations during an interview on MS NOW Thursday night, calling the claims “just not true.”

He did, however, confirm the sexting activity detailed in earlier reports.

The Fabrizio, Lee & Associates poll surveyed 800 likely Maine voters between June 1 and June 3 and carries a margin of error of plus-or-minus 3.5 percentage points.