David Hain — April 7, 2026
In Downeast Maine, you’ll be able to find the town of Sullivan. It’s not a very big town—only 1200 people strong—and is, in most regards, unassuming. The town’s “noteworthy” attraction lies on its harbor: an oyster farm, created and sustained by the Waukeag Neck Oyster Company. The company is run by its owner, Graham Platner, and his wife, Amy. The oyster farm is how Platner makes his living; besides the farm, his income is subsidized by the 100% disability benefits he gets from his time serving in both Iraq and Afghanistan.
Since 2020, Platner has retired to a quiet life of farming by the seaside. But starting in 2025, he’s hit the campaign trail and is officially running for the US Senate.
In the span of eight months, Platner has hosted fifty town hall meetings, campaigning tirelessly. Running as an independent, he’s a fierce rival to Maine’s governor, Janet Mills, whom he’s running against in Maine’s primary. His primary goal is to dethrone Republican Senator Susan Collins and win her Senate seat.
Miraculously, Platner’s campaign has picked up steam: The Pan Atlantic Research Poll has found that Platner is eking out Collins’ popularity with a delicate 4% lead of 44% to 40%. Last quarter, Platner’s campaign raised $2 million more than Janet Mills, an already significant gap before you consider the fact that it was subsidized through small donations. That money outpaced the large donations Mills received.
Thus, Platner has won the hearts of many Mainers, with his town halls filled with cheers and acclaim. But what is Platner’s message, and why is it resonating with the average Maine citizen?
For his campaign strategy, Platner has taken a page out of New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s book. Platner has no prior experience with politics and has never tried to run for office or campaign. He is effectively an ‘outsider’, which, Platner says, is a good thing. Platner claims that his agenda has not been swayed by the Established Democrats or any corporate PAC. Instead, his interests solely lie with his constituents.
His policy goals reflect this, and they’re best summed up by Platner himself. At a local community center, Platner hosted a trivia night revolving around his campaign. When the emcee asked, “What specific group did Graham identify as the primary enemy in his campaign launch video?” the answer was, bluntly, “the oligarchy and the billionaires.”
Platner has underscored Medicare for All as his main campaign initiative, providing Medicare not just for elderly Americans, but for everyone. That money, he says, is to come out of the pockets of the rich. He’s criticized the Democratic Party for not doing enough to curtail the genocide in Gaza, and has publicly condemned the Israeli lobbying group AIPAC. He has also sharply denounced President Trump’s mass deportations, advocating for the abolishment of ICE.
All of these policy goals revolve around one of three things: attacking the Established Democrats for not doing enough to fulfill their agendas, attacking the wealthy for consecrating their affluence or both. This “for the people” approach to politics—attacking big corporations, criticizing politicians and heavily investing in social programs—aligns closely with Senator Bernie Sanders’ or Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortezs’ policies. Naturally, Sanders endorsed Platner immediately, while Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer endorsed Janet Mills.
Policy aims are only half the story, though: Platner has made his flaws and transgressions into another strength of his campaign.
Throughout his campaign, Platner has made an effort to be as transparent about his past mistakes. At that same trivia night, the emcee asked, “What was the nature of the controversy of Graham’s tattoo he received while in the Marines?” The answer was as blunt as the other: “It was claimed to be a Neo-Nazi tattoo (totenkopf).”
Resting on Platner’s chest is a skull-and-bones tattoo, which looks like the Neo-Nazi symbol called a totenkopf. Platner claims that he got the tattoo during a night of drinking while on military leave in Croatia. He hasn’t denied the existence of the tattoo—largely because he can’t—and has instead said that he deeply regrets getting it.
Platner’s tattoo is one of many controversial statements and actions that have been brought up against him tirelessly. Old comments of Platner exist online that detail him saying racist, homophobic and misogynistic remarks; in one Tweet, Platner is dismissive of sexual assault, claiming that to avoid rape, women should “Act like an adult for f‑‑‑s sake.”
Platner’s response to the discourse has been simple: “I don’t want people to judge me off the dumbest thing I said on the internet 12 years ago. I can honestly say I did not know what the f‑‑‑ I was talking about.”
Instead of hiding from his troubled history, Platner has acknowledged that the words that he’s said and the actions that he’s done were wrong; his mistakes make him human, and they’re an emblem of the authenticity Platner champions on his campaign. When Platner brought up his tattoo during a trivia night, he revealed how these controversies have become one of his populist assets: Platner’s honesty has helped strengthen his campaign. And by his logic, if he’s honest about Neo-Nazi tattoos and dismissive sexual assault comments, he’s honest about helping his constituency, too.
With polls reporting neck-and-neck figures, Platner’s gamble for Collins’ Senate seat seems more plausible than once thought. A socialist and a radical, Platner belongs to the same niche that Zohran Mamdani does: a representation of America’s rise of populist politicians, people who aren’t afraid to shift the Overton Window and get a little leftist. Mamdani created his platform on professionalism and class; Platner, though, has found that the heart of his campaign rests in a little harbor that farms oysters in a little, hole-in-the-wall town.
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