"What was the nature of the controversy surrounding Graham's tattoo that he got while in the Marines?" a host recently asked at a local community center. The answer? "It was alleged to be a neo-Nazi tattoo (Totenkopf)." This wasn't a new way of planting compromising information about an opponent, but an official campaign event for Platner's supporters. The event showed how the 41-year-old oyster farmer and military veteran tapped into voters' willingness to forgive past mistakes and embrace his populist narrative. Platner faces 78-year-old Governor Janet Mills in the June 9th primary, with the winner set to challenge 73-year-old Republican Senator Susan Collins, who is already serving her fifth Senate term, in a race that could impact control of the upper chamber of Congress. "Graham Platner's campaign gave me an opportunity to channel my energy into something positive. I believe he truly has a redemption story," said Beth Knight, a 63-year-old teacher who attended the trivia night in Kittery, a small coastal town on the border with New Hampshire. Participants drank juice, ate cookies, and listened to Dropkick Murphys, a Boston punk band Platner likes. Some were clearly very familiar with the candidate, who was almost completely unknown just last year. Among the questions was: "What qualities make Graham the best candidate to defeat Susan Collins?" One of the offered answers was "he's handsome and has a deep voice," but the correct answer in the game was "he has grown as a person and is honest." Mills, in her second term leading the state, has the support of Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer of New York and other party officials who argue it's too risky to back an untested candidate like Platner. Maine has one of the oldest voting populations in the country, and voters often elect politicians with moderate reputations. But Platner has managed to motivate a segment of voters with a populist message his team believes could lead him to victory. "Which group exactly did Graham identify as the main enemy in his campaign launch video?" the host asked at the trivia night. The answer was: "the oligarchy and billionaires." Platner has focused his campaign on affordability issues, like housing and healthcare, but most media coverage revolves around his past behavior. He constantly faces questions about the skull and crossbones tattoo reminiscent of a Nazi symbol, which he says he got during a drunken night while on military leave in Croatia. Platner claims he didn't know the image was associated with Nazis at the time and has since covered the tattoo with another design. However, questions remain about inflammatory comments he previously left online, which he has since deleted and disavowed. He was recently criticized for appearing on a podcast hosted by Nate Cornacchia, a retired Green Beret special forces member who has been accused of antisemitism. Despite this, Platner continues to pack theaters, halls, and gatherings. From announcing his candidacy in August to the end of March, he held 50 public town halls across Maine. His campaign has accused Mills and Collins of holding none during that period. The events include classic field campaign training and voter phone banking, but also social gatherings at breweries and poster-making ahead of No Kings protests. This ground presence has increased Platner's visibility. For example, the same night his team organized the trivia quiz in Kittery, Platner was over 350 miles north, at a town hall in Fort Kent at the state's northern tip. "He brings an energy of building something into this race, regardless of whether he wins or loses. He wants to establish a lasting connection in communities where people can gather and truly talk face-to-face with their neighbors again," said Megan Smith, a community organizer with the Maine People's Alliance, an advocacy group that has endorsed Platner. The Mills and Collins campaigns have dismissed claims that Platner is more accessible to voters, pointing to their candidates' busy schedules as elected officials. "As the only Democratic candidate to win a statewide election in the last 20 years, Janet Mills has the trust of voters; they know she is the only candidate who has delivered progress for the people of Maine and see her leading our state every day," said her campaign spokesperson Tommy Garcia. Collins' spokesperson Blake Kernen said that "public town halls are often organized by party structures or groups spending dark money." "She prefers meetings in smaller groups, rather than holding public town halls where very few people get a chance to speak, and the level of civility is often not particularly high," she added. So far, Platner, since entering the race in August, has spent significantly more on advertising than Mills – $4.8 million compared to her $1.5 million, according to a recent analysis by AdImpact. Spending is increasing as the campaign intensifies ahead of the primary. Mills recently released a video of women reading some of Platner's old social media posts where he disparaged sexual assault victims. Platner's supporters don't seem worried about the increased focus on his past, arguing Democratic voters are more willing to elect candidates who are honest about prior mistakes, provided they show they've changed. "In this environment, you know, where we have people like Donald Trump in public office, who have done terrible things, there is a greater desire in the Democratic Party for people who aren't polished from head to toe and who haven't been on a preordained electoral track their whole lives," said Senator Martin Heinrich, a Democrat from New Mexico who supports Platner. Smith, the community organizer, says some voters chafe at the assumption that people outside Maine, like Schumer, know better what's good for them. "Mainers are quite stubborn and we don't like being told what to do. They are not thrilled that Democrats from Washington are interfering in our primary," she said. Still, Platner will have to reverse historical patterns to defeat Mills. "Historically, voters in Maine's Democratic primaries have a tendency to choose a known candidate. Often it's an older candidate who has been in public service longer," said Michael Franz, a political science professor at Bowdoin College. Franz described Platner as a "high-risk, high-potential-reward candidate." "He could become a new national figure who attracts everyone's attention if elected to the Senate. Or he might just remain the candidate everyone thought could come out of nowhere, but ended up winning only 42 percent of the vote," he said.