A political action committee created to help Republican U.S. Sen. Susan Collins win reelection in November is spending nearly $2 million attacking Democratic challenger Graham Platner.
The Pine Tree Results PAC ads against Platner come with more than a month left before the Democratic primary between him, Gov. Janet Mills and David Costello. The ad focuses on Platner’s now-covered tattoo of Nazi iconography and a 13-year-old post he wrote on social media about sexual assault. Both were highlighted in a short run of attack ads launched by Mills in March.
The timing is noteworthy because Mills has largely stopped running ads in the contest and polls show she’s struggling to gain ground against Platner. So far, no Democratic-aligned super PAC has come to her aid in the primary.
Pine Tree Results has amassed more than $12 million in contributions from an array of wealthy donors, including Blackstone CEO Stephen Schwarzman, New Balance chair James Davis and Palantir CEO Alex Karp. At $3 million its largest contributor is Stronger America Inc., which does not disclose its donors. It has also received $1 million from the Lexington Fund. Open Secrets recently reported that the Lexington Fund shares the same address as an organization with connections to judicial activist Leonard Leo, who owns a home in Bar Harbor.
Pine Tree Results is effectively a rebrand of the 1820 PAC that spent heavily to assist Collins’ reelection six years ago.
The Republican is seeking her sixth term in November and has no primary opponent. An array of Democratic groups have been attacking her since the fall of 2025.
This story appears through a media partnership with Maine Public.
