The big distinction between Collins and Platner | Letter

[](https://www.pressherald.com/tag/election-2026/) _[Read all of our coverage](https://www.pressherald.com/tag/election-2026/) of Maine's 2026 election or stay up to date with the latest developments through the [Maine Political Report](https://www.pressherald.com/mprnewsletter/) in your inbox or [text messages](https://www.pressherald.com/2026/01/11/maine-political-news-sent-right-to-your-phone-sign-up-for-text-alerts-from-our-editor/) from politics editor Kirby Wilson._ Sen. Susan Collins and Senate candidate Graham Platner have a lot in common. At times in their lives, they have done despicable things. So despicable that they both would normally not be worthy of our votes. Platner did stupid things during times of leave from a battlefield. Young soldiers have been doing stupid things like that since the beginning of time. Collins has been doing stupid things for decades in the Senate chambers. Any senator who votes 90%- 95% of the time in agreement with President Trump’s wishes cannot possibly make a claim for proper behavior. But there’s a big distinction between the two. Mr. Platner realizes he did things, expresses remorse for his behavior and says that he tries, every day, to be a better person. Sen. Collins claims that she has no regrets, and promises to continue in her ways. **Larre Nelson** _Portland_ Copy the Story Link Tagged: [election 2026](https://www.pressherald.com/tag/election-2026/), [letter to the editor](https://www.pressherald.com/tag/letter-to-the-editor/), [senate 2026](https://www.pressherald.com/tag/senate-2026/)