Democratic hopeful Graham Platner has withdrawn from upcoming primary debates, including Maine Public’s, because he’s now focused on his presumptive matchup with Republican U.S. Sen. Susan Collins in November.
Gov. Janet Mills suspended her U.S. Senate campaign Thursday. Platner now faces only David Costello in the June 9 primary, and Costello lags far behind in the polls.
Costello, Mills and Platner were due to appear in a Democratic primary debate on May 7 hosted by Maine Public and News Center Maine in partnership with the Portland Press Herald.
Platner said he and Costello have already appeared together a few times at public forums and events.
“To be honest, we agree on a lot of things,” Platner told reporters Friday morning. “Going back on stage and just agreeing on the same things over and over again, I don’t really think what’s people are looking for right now.”
Platner on Friday received an endorsement from the Maine AFL-CIO, a federation of about 200 labor unions in the state. He accepted the endorsement on May Day, also known as International Workers Day, which commemorates the achievements of labor unions and working people. That’s the focus of his campaign, Platner said.
“Moving forward, I will not just be here to go to meetings to ask for your support,” he said. “I won’t just be there to go into offices and have conversations. I will be there on picket lines. I will be there in the streets, and you will always be welcome in our U.S. Senate office.”
Maine AFL-CIO leaders also thanked Mills and said they appreciated her service to the state despite some policy differences over the years.
