I’m a Democratic strategist. I won't stay silent about Graham Platner.
Key takeaways
- Last week, Planned Parenthood, an organization whose entire mission is protecting women, endorsed Graham Platner for the U.S.
- I have watched allegations, denials, explanations, interviews, and competing narratives unfold in real time.
- As someone who has survived manipulation, intimidation and emotional abuse, I know what it feels like when a story lands somewhere deeper than politics.
Why this matters: political developments that affect policy direction and public trust.
Watkins, opinion contributor - 06/29/26 8:00 AM ET Comments: Link copied by Laurie A. Watkins, opinion contributor - 06/29/26 8:00 AM ET Comments: Link copied Associated Press Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Graham Platner speaks during a primary election night watch party after winning the Democratic nomination Tuesday, June 9, 2026, in Blue Hill, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) I am not a voter in Maine. Which is fortunate, because if I were, I don t know what I would do.
Last week, Planned Parenthood, an organization whose entire mission is protecting women, endorsed Graham Platner for the U.S. Senate. He had just won the Maine Democratic primary with 72 percent of the vote, and the party moved quickly to consolidate behind him. What no one seemed willing to pause for were the women who had stepped forward — without consultants, without a campaign apparatus, without anyone standing behind them — to say, simply, This is what happened to me.
I have spent weeks following this story. I have watched allegations, denials, explanations, interviews, and competing narratives unfold in real time. What has stayed with me is not the politics. It s the women.