A 40-year-old oyster farmer from Sullivan announced on Tuesday that he will seek the Democrat nomination to challenge U.S. Senator Susan Collins (R-ME).
Graham Platner served eight years in the U.S. military in as many combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, first as a Marine and later with the U.S. Army Special Forces after exceeding the maximum number of deployments the Marines allowed in such a period.
After studying at George Washington University on the GI Bill, Platner returned to Maine to help his mother run a restaurant in his native Hancock county and launch the Waukeag Oyster Company, which he currently runs.
“I drink coffee every morning with the guys that I work next to, who are friends of mine, who all voted for Donald Trump. And they voted for Donald Trump because they wanted something new, they wanted change,” Platner told ABC News, arguing that his understanding of these voters could help steer the Democratic Party, which he described as “quite confused,” back to a winning track.
“The Democratic Party needs to return to an age where it is the party of labor unions, it is the party of community organizers, it is the party of fighting for big structural change to benefit working class people,” he said.
While a combat vet and small businessman, Platner is a political novice and has not previously sought elective office. He has engaged the same political consultant as New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani to launch his first political ad.
Collins, 72, who chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee, is seeking her sixth term. While national Democrats have been seeking to recruit term-limited Maine Governor Janet Mills (D) to challenge her, she does not currently face a well-known opponent.
