Anti-Israel candidate who long had a Nazi tattoo wins Democratic Senate primary in Maine

Graham Platner has been declared the winner of the Maine Democratic primary and will now face off in the general election against longtime US Senator Susan Collins.

The race pits Collins, a veteran lawmaker and the only Republican senator from New England, against an anti-Israel progressive with no experience in high office. Platner, a brash political newcomer who has energized crowds, has faced a series of controversies that the GOP will focus on, including long having a Nazi Totenkopf tattoo on his chest and allegations of abuse.

An oyster farmer and former chair of the planning board in the small town of Sullivan, Platner has drawn hundreds of people to rallies around the state.

He was endorsed by Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, who campaigned with him in the run-up to the primary. He has said he plans to focus on economic issues such as housing and healthcare, after making attacks on the pro-Israel American Jewish lobby group AIPAC a key element of his primary campaign.