Dems have 'clear path' to Senate majority without controversial candidate: CNN data expert

Controversial candidate Graham Platner won the Democratic nomination in Maine's Senate race, but a new analysis found the party doesn't even need him to win to take back control of the U.S. Senate.

The Iraq war veteran won his primary race and will face off against Republican Sen. Susan Collins despite allegations of mistreatment by past girlfriends, sexually explicit text messages sent to other women while he was married, questionable comments posted online and getting a tattoo of a Nazi symbol – but CNN's Harry Enten said his campaign is not essential for Democrats.

"So that that isthe mathematical equation,right?" Enten said. "They need a net one, two,three, four seats. That is whatthey need to net, and I thinkthat there is this idea outthere that if Graham Platnerdoesn't win in Maine, then itscrews the Democrats. That isnot true at all. Yes, it maymake it more difficult, but theyhave a real path, even withoutwinning in Maine."

"Why don'twe just take a look at some polling in some key states,right, some state polling in GOP-held seats," Enten continued. "These are statesthat Donald Trump won by doubledigits, but look at this: The Democrats and the average pollsare actually slightly ahead.Sherrod Brown in ohio, he's upby three points. He's, ofcourse, the former senator lostthe seat back in 2024. How aboutin Texas, which has not electeda Democrat to the United Statessenate since 1988? What do wesee here? We see James Talarico,again, a small lead well withinthe margin of error. But theaverage poll, he's up threepoints."

"So in two states we havepolling out in the last fewweeks, last few months, when youaverage it all together, whereyou actually have Democratsahead again within the margin oferror, but up by three points intwo states that Donald Trump wonby double digits just two yearsago," he added.

Platner winning in Maine would obviously help Democrats regain the Senate majority, Enten said, but he said President Donald Trump's unpopularity gave them other paths to victory.

"If we wind out themap, right, a puncher's chance,at least a 20 percent chance that the Kalshi Prediction Markets, peopleputting their money where theirmouth is, in terms of Democratswinning at least a 20 percent chance, look at this," Enten said. "There are seven GOP-held seats, so the map isactually really wide this year.It has widened out, which is nota big surprise when thepresident of the United Stateshas an approval rating, if he'slucky, averaging about 40 percent. Ifyou look at most of the polls,it's under 40 percent. Bottom line is, themap is wide. Democrats have apath without Maine. Yes, Mainehelps them, but they have aclear path without it."

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