Iraq And Afghanistan Veteran Launches Democratic Campaign Against Sen. Susan Collins In Maine

Graham Platner, a 40-year-old Army and Marine seasoned who served 4 combat tours successful Iraq and Afghanistan, launched his run for nan Senate successful Maine connected Tuesday, joining a increasing Democratic superior section seeking to return connected Republican Sen. Susan Collins.

Platner, an oyster husbandman who was calved and raised successful Sullivan, Maine, will tally connected a level of cosmopolitan wellness care, lodging affordability and ending U.S. engagement successful overseas wars.

“I consciousness an responsibility to protect this spot and protect nan group successful it,” Platner said successful an interview.

Platner joins a increasing Democratic superior section that features Jordan Wood, a erstwhile main of unit to erstwhile Rep. Katie Porter, D-Calif., and David Costello, who challenged independent Sen. Angus King past year.

Democratic Gov. Janet Mills has said she is considering getting into nan contest, while Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine, has opted against joining nan budding superior successful what, connected paper, mightiness look for illustration Democrats’ champion opportunity to flip a Senate spot successful 2026. Collins is nan only Republican legislator who represents a authorities Kamala Harris carried successful nan past statesmanlike election.

But she has proven a reliable force successful bluish Maine. In her past campaign, successful 2020, she hit Democratic force Sarah Gideon by much than 8 percent points, moreover arsenic Donald Trump mislaid Maine by much than 9 points.

Republicans person a 53-47 mostly successful nan Senate, meaning Democrats would request to flip 4 seats successful nan 2026 midterms to return nan majority.

Platner said his acquisition successful nan subject helped style his governmental position arsenic he prepared his campaign.

“When I joined nan Marine Corps, I joined up because I really, genuinely believed successful nan American project,” he said. “I wanted to conflict for thing I loved and that I thought was bully successful Iraq and Afghanistan. I watched some grounded policies, grounded strategies, grounded strategies being utilized complete and complete and complete again.”

“There’s a constituent wherever you person to commencement asking yourself what is nan constituent of this,” he added. “Why are you doing this? And erstwhile I went backmost arsenic a information contractor successful 2018, what I began to recognize is that I was conscionable watching immense amounts of payer money getting put into nan pockets of defense contractors, of information contractors, of this full servants of nan state that almost seemed to beryllium simply to return payer money and put it into somebody’s backstage slope account. And successful seeing that up adjacent for a while, it turned maine into a deeply, profoundly cynical and angry guy. From that I began to benignant of look astatine our larger governmental system, our larger economical system, and you conscionable statesman to spot nan aforesaid nonstop thing.”

Platner is seeking to link pinch working-class voters who’ve migrated toward nan GOP successful caller cycles. He pointed to Golden, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., arsenic figures offering dream for nan Democratic Party nationally and successful his state.

“If we attraction chiefly connected fighting for working-class values, fighting for policies that thief working-class people, clawing backmost a batch of nan powerfulness that has been consolidated successful nan benignant of higher establishment-class politics, I deliberation if you instrumentality to that stuff, you tin win,” Platner said. “And getting dragged into galore of these insignificant civilization warfare fights is not remotely nan answer.”

“I don’t conscionable place pinch nan much of nan near parts of nan party. People for illustration Jared Golden are doing an fantabulous job. That’s why he’s been capable to clasp connected to a Democratic spot successful a Trump district,” Platner said.

In his motorboat video, Platner excoriated “billionaires and corrupt politicians profiting disconnected and destroying our environment, driving our families into poorness and crushing nan mediate class,” saying his subject acquisition made him unafraid to “name an enemy, and nan force is nan oligarchy.”

“I’m not fooled by this clone charade of Collins’ deliberations and moderation,” he said.