PORTLAND, Maine — U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) brought his populist message to Maine on Labor Day, rallying alongside gubernatorial candidate Troy Jackson and Graham Platner, a Democrat challenging Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), at the Cross Insurance Arena in Portland.
The event, part of Sanders’ national “Fight the Oligarchy” tour, drew hundreds of attendees and focused heavily on economic inequality, workers’ rights, and the political influence of billionaires.
“Working families are struggling,” Sanders said, condemning federal cuts and rising costs of living. “In a nation in which we have a handful of billionaires controlling our economy, our media, our government, we are living in an oligarchy and that is the struggle we have got to take on.”
Jackson, a former state Senate president and longtime logger from Allagash, framed his campaign for governor around lifting up working-class Mainers, supporting seniors, and creating opportunity for children. Platner, seeking to unseat Collins, echoed that message, calling for a break with the political establishment.
For many in the crowd, the rally’s timing on Labor Day underscored its themes. “The conversation with Bernie and Troy is perfect because these men have lived the life, having been in the labor market themselves and representing those interests, not the interest of the investors or the stockbrokers,” said Frederick, an attendee from Bath.
Brad Sherwood, another supporter in the crowd, said the event resonated because “we all have things in common, we all have the same struggles, and they want solutions and they don’t want the establishment to tell them how to live and how we are going to survive.”
Sanders’ presence and endorsement added momentum for both Maine Democrats. Platner, in particular, faces a high-profile race against Collins, who has long been one of the state’s most durable political figures.
The Portland rally capped a holiday weekend of political activism nationwide, as Sanders and his allies sought to use Labor Day to sharpen their argument that the fight against corporate and billionaire influence is inseparable from the struggle for working families’ survival.
