Iraq and Afghanistan veteran Graham Platner launches Democratic Senate campaign against Susan Collins

 

Graham Platner, a 40-year-old veteran of four combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, officially launched his campaign Tuesday to challenge Republican Senator Susan Collins in Maine. Platner, who also works as an oyster farmer in his hometown of Sullivan, is positioning himself as a working-class candidate who wants to focus on universal health care, affordable housing, and ending U.S. military involvement in foreign conflicts. “I feel an obligation to protect this place and protect the people in it,” Platner said. Platner enters a growing Democratic primary field that already includes Jordan Wood, a former aide to Rep. Katie Porter, and David Costello, who ran against Sen. Angus King last year. Democratic Gov. Janet Mills has signaled she may join the race, though Rep. Jared Golden has ruled himself out. Collins remains a formidable opponent despite representing a state carried by Kamala Harris in the last presidential election. She won reelection in 2020 by more than eight points, even as Donald Trump lost Maine by nine. With Republicans currently holding a 53-47 Senate majority, Democrats would need to flip four seats in 2026 to reclaim control, making Maine one of their top targets.

Platner said his military service profoundly shaped his political outlook. He described watching failed U.S. policies in Iraq and Afghanistan, later witnessing how billions of taxpayer dollars flowed to defense and security contractors while little progress was made. That experience, he said, turned him into a skeptical observer of the wider political and economic system, which he believes is rigged in favor of corporations and the wealthy. “The enemy is the oligarchy,” Platner declared in his launch video, accusing billionaires and corrupt politicians of profiting at the expense of working families. He is seeking to appeal to voters who feel left behind, including many working-class Mainers who have drifted toward Republicans. Platner highlighted Rep. Jared Golden’s success in a Trump-leaning district, as well as figures like Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, as examples of Democrats connecting with working people. He warned against getting caught up in cultural battles, saying the party should stay focused on economic issues that directly affect families. Platner also dismissed Collins’ image as a moderate, saying her record does not match her reputation. His campaign will test whether a military veteran with a populist economic message can mobilize enough support to unseat one of the Senate’s most enduring incumbents.

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