Marine Corps veteran Graham Platner, the likely Democratic nominee in his race, is looking to defeat longtime Republican Sen. Susan Collins in the 2026 election.
In addition to being outed for his tattoo resembling the Totenkopf (death's head), a symbol utilized by the Nazi SS "Honor Ring" and concentration camp guards, critics have brought Platner's past social media posts featuring explicit comments about rural Americans, women, police, veterans and the military to light.
He has downplayed all of that, and his latest target is the Boston Red Sox.
Platner recently ran a campaign ad designed to appeal to the baseball team's fans and provoke its wealthy ownership. It featured Democratic Sen. Bernie Sanders saying, "You're gonna see billionaires spending unbelievable amounts of money to destroy candidates like Graham and progressive candidates all over this country."
The ad was meant to air during the Red Sox's May 23 game against the Minnesota Twins. However, midway through the game, the advertisement was pulled by the New England Sports Network (NESN), which is owned primarily by Fenway Sports Group, a conglomerate that owns the Red Sox and the Premier League's Liverpool F.C.
Platner has criticized the owner for pulling his ad and criticized the team for blowing a 4-0 lead and losing the game.
He frames the ad's removal as further evidence of his broader criticism of corporate ownership and private equity influence over sports and media, which he argues is "making everything in our lives worse."
According to the NESN, Platner's ad included unauthorized use of third-party property and did not comply with its advertising standards. Specifically, it included unauthorized use of copyrighted game footage or broadcast material and league intellectual property without permission.
But rather than acknowledge he violated the network's advertising standards, Platner is using the episode to amplify his campaign themes.
