The Catholic League issued an alert to Christians in Maine over remarks it says Graham Platner, the frontrunner for the Democratic nomination in the state’s 2026 U.S. Senate race, made about Jesus Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary.
In a June 3 statement, Catholic League President Bill Donohue said the organization takes no position on Platner’s policy views but wants Christians to know about comments he has made related to Catholicism.
According to Donohue, Platner has described himself as “crudely atheist as one can be,” which Donohue called “troubling.” But what Donohue called “more than troubling” and “obscene” was Platner’s alleged reference to the Blessed Virgin Mary as a “skank.”
The Catholic League cited the Cambridge Dictionary’s definition of “skank” as an “offensive slang term for an unpleasant, dirty, or sexually promiscuous person (usually a woman).”
“Anyone who talks about ‘Mary sucking at covering up being a skank’ is intentionally insulting Christians,” Donohue said.
Donohue said Platner has also called Christ a “zombie.”
The organization said it is contacting the Diocese of Portland, most Catholic churches in Maine, and many Protestant congregations to inform voters ahead of the June 9 Democratic primary.
Platner, a 41-year-old oyster farmer and Marine Corps veteran, has emerged as the leading Democratic candidate to challenge incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins after Maine Gov. Janet Mills, a Democrat who was running for the Senate, announced that she was suspending active campaigning. Mills told the Press Herald on June 1 that she is still on the ballot and any votes cast for her will still count.
Platner’s campaign has weathered a series of controversies in recent days. The New York Times reported June 4 that several women who previously dated Platner described him as “toxic,” emotionally abusive, and physically intimidating. Platner has denied the allegations and called them politically motivated in remarks to AP News.
He has also faced scrutiny after The Wall Street Journal reported that he exchanged sexually explicit text messages with women while married. According to FOX News, he has apologized for past Reddit posts that were dismissive of military sexual assault and included homophobic slurs, and he has faced criticism for having a tattoo recognized as a Nazi symbol.