WASHINGTON - An oyster farmer and political newcomer besieged by questions about his past relationships with women. A Republican congresswoman who was years ago branded "disloyal" and "nasty" by President Donald Trump.

These are two of the story lines we were watching on Tuesday as primary voters went to the polls in Maine, South Carolina, Nevada and North Dakota.

Graham Platner won Maine's U.S. Senate Democratic primary handily, even though a New York Times report quoting former girlfriends saying he at times behaved in ways they described as unsettling caused jitters within his party.

Meanwhile, in the South Carolina primary for governor, U.S. Representative Nancy Mace became the latest casualty of Trump's efforts to topple fellow Republican officeholders after she demanded the release of the government's Jeffrey Epstein files.

DEMOCRATS SHOOK OFF WORRIES ABOUT PLATNER

Democrats have high hopes of capturing a U.S. Senate seat from Republicans in Maine, where five-term Senator Susan Collins is running for reelection at a time when voters are soured by high consumer prices and the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran.

Platner, a former combat Marine, built momentum on a pitch as a man of the people that resonated with moderates and progressives, drew substantial campaign funding and led Democratic Governor Janet Mills to suspend her primary bid.

Now, the married Platner is fighting off reports he sent sexually explicit texts to multiple women last year as well as a Nazi-associated tattoo he had covered up last year. Platner, 41, has apologized for his past behavior and said he struggled with post-traumatic stress disorder and depression following combat duty in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"I've made mistakes in my life, mistakes that I regret, that I live with, that I continue to learn from. I'm still far from perfect, but every day I wake up and I try to be a little bit better and a little bit kinder than I was the day before," Platner told supporters in Blue Hill, Maine.

On election night Maine Democrats appeared to be throwing off any misgivings they might have had about Platner, winning 72% of the vote with 42% reporting over Governor Janet Mills, who suspended her campaign in May but remains on the ballot.

"In November, Maine voters will elect Graham Platner, and we will win a Senate majority," Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said in a joint statement with Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, who chairs the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.

TRUMP'S ENDORSEMENTS MATTERED IN SOUTH CAROLINA

Already in this year's primary elections Trump-backed candidates have defeated Republican Senators Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, John Cornyn of Texas and Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky.

This time, Trump appears to have ended the political career of South Carolina's Representative Nancy Mace, who failed to make the top-two vote-getters and will not advance to the June 23 runoff. Trump's late endorsement of South Carolina Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evette pushed her atop a crowded primary field. Evette, who ran on an "America First" platform, will face second-place finisher Attorney General Alan Wilson.

The Republican primary winner is expected to also win the November general election as it has been nearly three decades since a Democrat has been elected governor in this Republican-leaning state.

Trump also endorsed four-term Senator Lindsey Graham, who faced several primary challengers including from hard-right Greenville-area businessman Mark Lynch, whom Trump called a "lunatic." Graham will avoid a runoff, as he captured nearly 58% of the vote with 90% of votes counted.

GOLDEN MOMENT FOR REPUBLICANS?

Representative Jared Golden, one of the most moderate Democrats in the U.S. Congress, is retiring and Republicans can taste victory in the race for his replacement.

Former Republican Governor Paul LePage ran unopposed in his primary for the seat in a district that Trump won in 2024, and he has Trump's "complete and total endorsement."

With 42% of the vote counted, three Democrats, Jordan Wood, Joseph Baldacci and Matthew Dunlap, remained locked in a three-way battle to take on LePage.

This race could help define whether Republicans hold onto their narrow U.S. House majority.

(Reporting by Richard Cowan; Editing by Michael Learmonth, Howard Goller and Ed Davies)

FILE PHOTO: Graham Platner, Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in Maine, speaks during a "Fighting Oligarchy" campaign rally with U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) in Portland, Maine, U.S., May 25, 2026. REUTERS/Amanda Sabga/File Photo Amanda Sabga Reuters

Copyright Reuters or USA Today Network via Reuters Connect.

This story was originally published June 9, 2026 at 8:31 PM.

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