U.S. Senate candidate Graham Platner, a Hancock County oyster farmer and combat veteran, filed his overdue federal financial disclosure last week, yet the document provides only very limited insight into his personal finances.
Platner, who is seeking the Democratic nomination in next year’s Senate race, waited until last week to submit the disclosure that was supposed to be filed in September.
In the filing, Platner reported that he receives a $3,000 annual stipend for serving as harbormaster in the town of Sullivan, a role he has held since January 2024, and noted that he sat on the town’s planning board from January 2023 to August 2025, although that was an unpaid position.
Platner further disclosed that his company, Frenchman Bay Oyster Company, holds equipment valued between $50,000 to $100,000, and that the business carries a loan of between $15,000 and $50,000. Yet the document did not list any income from the business.
Separately, Platner reported receiving “more than $5,000” from providing oysters to his mother’s business, Ironbound Restaurant and Inn in Hancock.
Platner, who has a 100 percent disability rating from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs related to deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan, is not required to report his disability benefits. He has nonetheless said he receives approximately $4,800 a month in those benefits.
A campaign spokesperson explained that Platner could choose to take a salary or take an owner’s draw from his oyster business, but instead opted to reinvest the money back into the company so as not to affect his disability benefits.
The disclosure also indicates that Platner’s wife, Amy Gertner, receives income from several sources including an elementary school in Otis, the oyster company, a Belfast catering business and the campaign, although the exact amounts are not detailed. Gertner received two salary payments totaling nearly $3,600 from the campaign in September.
The Democratic primary race pits Platner against incumbent Governor Janet Mills, who was granted a 90 day extension to file her disclosure, now due February 11. Mills did file a state disclosure in April, but it too lacked detailed breakdowns.
The winner of the Democratic nomination will challenge five-term Republican Sen. Susan Collins.
