Graham Platner, a veteran and oyster farmer, is challenging Maine Sen. Susan Collins in the 2026 senate election, he announced Aug. 19.
“We have watched this state become unlivable for working people. And it makes me deeply angry,” Platner, a Democrat, said in his announcement video. “Everywhere I’ve gone, it seems like the fabric of what holds us together is being ripped apart by billionaires and corrupt politicians, profiting off of destroying our environment, driving our families into poverty, and crushing the middle class.”
He will be taking on Collins, a moderate Republican who occasionally bucks her party and has proven difficult to unseat. She is running for a sixth term in 2026.
Graham Platner, a Democrat, is running to represent Maine in the U.S. Senate.
Who is Graham Platner?
Platner is a Sullivan, Maine, native who owns Waukeag Neck Oyster Company. He is also chair of the Sullivan Planning Board.
In his announcement video, Platner is portrayed as an economic populist ready to take on “the oligarchy” of billionaires and “corrupt politicians.”
He criticized Collins, saying that he is “not fooled” by the “fake charade” of her moderation.
“The difference between Susan Collins and (Texas Sen.) Ted Cruz is that at least Ted Cruz is honest about selling us out and not giving a damn,” he said.
His platform includes universal healthcare, stopping mass deportations and supporting unions. As a veteran who served three tours in Iraq as a Marine and another in Afghanistan with Army National Guard, he says he will “never, ever vote to send Americans into a pointless war.”
Who is running against Susan Collins?
Platner is the latest Democrat to announce his candidacy in the 2026 senate race against the incumbent Collins. Others include Jordan Woods, the former chief of staff to then-Rep. Katie Porter, and David Costello, who ran against Maine Independent Sen. Angus King in 2024.
Collins is unpopular in the state, with 57% of Mainers finding her unfavorable in a June UNH Survey Center poll. But while Gov. Janet Mills’ name has been floated to challenge Collins, she has not committed and Democrats have yet to recruit a high-profile candidate.
Maine Senator Susan Collins speaks during a press conference outside the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard April 17, 2025.
With no prior political experience, Platner is not a high-profile candidate, either. But he has attracted some national attention with a launch video produced by Morris Katz, an advisor to the Democratic nominee for New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani, according to reports. Some on social media have referred to him as “Maine Zohran.”
This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Maine senate race: Graham Platner to challenge Susan Collins
