Voters in Maine, South Carolina, Nevada, North Dakota head to polls
June 9 (UPI) -- Five-Term Republican Sen. Susan Collins will soon learn who she will face in November as voters head to the polls in Maine's primary election on Tuesday.
Voters in South Carolina, Nevada and North Dakota are also casting ballots in primaries with control of the U.S. House and Senate at stake. Collins' Senate seat is among those the Democratic Party believes it can flip and Tuesday's primary will determine the candidate that represents the party.
Newcomer Graham Platner, former Maine Gov. Janet Mills and 2024 Senate hopeful David Costello are on the ballot for the Democratic Party in Maine. Public health professor Andrea LaFlamme is running a write-in campaign.
Mills suspended her campaign after Platner established a lead in the pre-election polls.
Controversies have followed Platner, who is running a campaign on shaking up the political system to help the working class. Last week, The New York Times published an article about three former girlfriends of Platner who are accusing him of infidelity and being physically threatening in their relationships.
Platner has denied the allegations.
In October, Platner drew criticism for having a skull and crossbones tattoo, a Nazi symbol, on his chest. He got the tattoo in 2007 while serving in the Marines. He said he later learned the meaning of the symbol and regretted it, ultimately having it covered with another tattoo.
Platner has also been accused of making dismissive comments about rape on social media.
Despite the controversies, Platner remains the favorite to challenge Collins in November.
The power of an endorsement by President Donald Trump is being measured in South Carolina as his choice for Congress, state Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, challenges incumbent Rep. Nancy Mace. Former congressman Ralph Norman is also running and has been endorsed by Nikki Haley.
A candidate must receive 50% of the vote or more to win the primary. If no candidate reaches that threshold, the top two will move on to a runoff election on June 23.
Mace has cast Trump's opposition as being punishment for her joining the push for the Justice Department to release the files from the investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Also in South Carolina, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., a Trump ally, is running for re-election with five Republicans challenging him in the primary. Businessman Mark Lynch is among the challengers. He has highlighted Graham's role in rampant federal spending as he attempts to unseat the four-term senator.
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This story was originally published June 9, 2026 at 10:16 AM.