Tamara Keith

And Maine Public's Kevin Miller is also here.

Hi, Kevin.

Hi, how are you?

Oh, great.

And so great to have you here.

You know, at the NPR Politics Podcast, we are taking a look at the most competitive U.S.

Senate races for 2026.

And today on the show, we have you here because we're turning to Maine.

So, Kevin, let's start with the basics.

Why should this race be on everyone's radar?

Yet let's dig in on this just fascinating Democratic primary.

You know, one would assume that an incumbent governor would have an advantage over a political newcomer.

And yet that's not really what's happening.

So what is it about Graham Plattner?

Can you talk about sort of the issues that they're campaigning on and their differences?

So not an argument over universal health care or anything like that or.

Mara, what does this tell you about the state of the Democratic Party?

Plattner got a lot of national attention last year in all the wrong ways over a controversial tattoo that appears to be similar to a Nazi symbol.

Walk us through that controversy.

Yeah, it seems like he went to a tattoo parlor very quickly.