An anti-Israel progressive candidate who has faced scrutiny over a Nazi Totenkopf tattoo and past abuse allegations has won the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate in Maine, setting up a high-profile general election showdown against longtime Republican Senator Susan Collins.

Graham Platner, an oyster farmer and former planning board chairman from the town of Sullivan, emerged victorious in the Democratic primary after a campaign that drew large crowds and strong support from the party’s progressive wing. He was endorsed by Senator Bernie Sanders, who campaigned alongside him in the final stretch before the election.

Platner, who has no experience in high elected office, made criticism of the pro-Israel lobbying group AIPAC a central theme of his campaign while also focusing on issues such as housing affordability and healthcare.

His victory is expected to intensify scrutiny of several controversies that surfaced during the campaign, including reports that he long displayed a Nazi Totenkopf tattoo on his chest. The Totenkopf, or “death’s head,” was prominently used by Nazi SS units during World War II and remains widely associated with Nazi ideology. Platner has also faced allegations of abuse, which have drawn criticism from opponents.

The race now moves to the general election, where Platner will challenge Collins, one of the Senate’s longest-serving Republicans and the only GOP senator representing New England.

Republicans are expected to make Platner’s anti-Israel positions, the Nazi tattoo controversy, and other personal allegations central issues in the campaign as they seek to hold the seat in what could become one of the most closely watched Senate races in the country.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)