Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders has thrown his weight behind an unlikely but fast-rising challenger in Maine’s upcoming Senate race — Graham Platner, a 40-year-old oyster farmer, Marine Corps veteran, and political newcomer whose grassroots campaign is already drawing national attention.
Platner, who has styled himself online as “the oysterman,” announced his candidacy earlier this month and has since raised $1 million and signed up more than 3,000 volunteers in just 10 days, according to his campaign. His insurgent effort is aimed at unseating longtime Republican senator Susan Collins, who has seen her approval rating plummet in recent months.
Sanders, in an emailed statement Saturday, said Platner embodies the kind of working-class leadership that Washington needs.
“Graham is a Marine and Army National Guard veteran, an oyster farmer, and a proud member of America’s working class,” Sanders wrote. “He’s a Mainer through and through, and he is building a movement strong enough to take on the oligarchy that is making Maine unaffordable for all except a privileged few. I look forward to Graham joining me in Washington.”
A Break From Democratic Leadership
Sanders’ endorsement puts him at odds with other Democrats, who are reportedly pressuring Maine’s 77-year-old Governor Janet Mills to enter the race instead. Mills has said she is “seriously considering” a run but is in “no rush” to decide.
For now, however, Platner’s campaign appears to have the momentum. His growing grassroots following has already outpaced traditional party organizing in Maine, fueled by his candid rhetoric, outsider image, and progressive platform.
In response to Sanders’ backing, Platner said he was “honored beyond words.” “Together we’re going to defeat Susan Collins and take back our government for the people,” he wrote on X.
The senator and Platner are scheduled to rally together on Labor Day in Portland, alongside logger-turned-gubernatorial candidate Troy Jackson. Originally slated for an auditorium, the rally has been moved to a larger arena due to overwhelming interest.
A Candidate Without Political Baggage
Though Platner has no political experience, he has embraced several progressive priorities aligned with Sanders, including universal health care and economic reform. At the same time, he has rejected the “liberal” label, framing himself instead as a truth-telling outsider unafraid to challenge both parties.
On social media, Platner has blasted Democratic fundraising appeals as disingenuous. “Nothing p***** me off more than getting a fundraising text from Democrats talking about how they’re fighting fascism,” he wrote. “Because it’s such bulls***. We’re not idiots. Everyone knows most of them aren’t doing jack s*** right now to fight back.”
Platner has also spoken out on foreign policy, calling for an end to “a genocide happening in Palestine,” and has used the language of revolution to describe his campaign. He even resurfaced a high school yearbook photo labeling him “Most Likely to Start a Revolution,” quipping, “We’ll see!”
Susan Collins Under Pressure
The race comes at a precarious time for Senator Collins. Once viewed as a moderate Republican with crossover appeal, she has angered both liberals and conservatives by appearing to straddle the line between loyalty to Trump and criticism of his administration.
In July, a poll showed her approval rating at just 38 percent. Democrats see her seat as one of their best opportunities to flip in the midterms.
Collins’ record is increasingly under scrutiny. She has drawn criticism for repeatedly expressing that she is “concerned” about Trump’s policies while still voting in his favor. She did, however, vote to convict Trump after January 6, endorsed Nikki Haley in 2024, and opposed Trump’s massive “One Big, Beautiful Bill.”
More recently, she has criticized Trump’s controversial health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for cutting National Institutes of Health research grants and firing CDC Director Susan Monarez. She called Kennedy’s decision to purge the CDC’s vaccine advisory panel “a bad mistake.”
But Collins’ attempts at independence have not quieted opposition. This week, protesters disrupted her appearances at a food bank and a ribbon-cutting ceremony in Maine, highlighting growing public frustration.
The Fight Ahead
With Platner’s candidacy surging, Maine’s Senate race is shaping up to be one of the most closely watched contests of the cycle. The endorsement from Sanders gives Platner credibility and a direct link to the progressive movement that helped power candidates like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez into office.
Whether the Democratic establishment ultimately backs Platner, or whether Governor Mills decides to enter the race, remains to be seen. For now, Sanders has placed his bet on the oyster farmer, framing the campaign as a fight between the working class and entrenched political power.
Platner’s slogan, “The Oysterman vs. the Oligarchy,” may prove to be the defining narrative of the race. And with Sanders at his side, Platner is poised to test just how far grassroots energy can go in unseating one of Washington’s most entrenched senators.