PORTLAND, Maine ― Graham Platner is still trying to process this moment.
A month ago, the scruffy U.S. Marine veteran was tending to his oyster farm on the coast of Maine in relative obscurity. Since announcing his bid against Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) two weeks ago, however, the 40-year-old political newcomer has drawn national headlines, hauled in over a million dollars for his campaign, and raised hopes among Democrats across the country that perhaps, this time, they have a shot at ousting the longtime GOP incumbent and taking back control of the U.S. Senate next year.
On Monday, Platner addressed the biggest crowd of his life in downtown Portland, bringing over 6,500 screaming people to their feet at a “Fighting Oligarchy” rally featuring Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) with his call to fight corporate interests and the influence of billionaires ― in both political parties. The populist message has resonated amid broad dissatisfaction within the Democratic Party with its leadership and their handling of President Donald Trump.
“I have not yet begun to emotionally connect with what’s going on, because I don’t even know how to, the scale of it is so ridiculous. It’s essentially incomprehensible,” the Democratic candidate reflected after the event in an interview with HuffPost. “It’s weird because, like, I don’t get nervous because it feels so ridiculous. I don’t even know how to begin to handle it.”
