Graham Platner is not shy. He wants Maine Sen. Susan Collins’ long-held seat, and he thinks he’s the right candidate to reverse a decades-long Democratic losing streak. Platner, 41, is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, ex-Army infantryman and oyster farmer who served multiple tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. Representing more of a progressive ideology, he kickstarted his U.S. Senate campaign in 2025 and has since been endorsed by individuals including U.S. Sens. Bernie Sanders (VT), Elizabeth Warren (MA) and Ruben Gallego (AZ), and U.S. Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA).
The campaign quickly gained traction in Maine and across the country, with Platner showing strong fundraising totals and consistently ascending polling numbers. Maine Gov. Janet Mills, also a Democrat, was Platner’s biggest inner-party challenger but suspended her campaign April 30 due to abysmal polling and diminished financial support—effectively making Platner the presumptive Democratic nominee heading into this November’s election. Platner spoke with Military.com about why he believes he’s the right candidate to accomplish what so many have failed to do, which is defeat Collins. He also talked in-depth about hosting a recent veterans town hall, delving deeper into the relationship between politics and military service and how both present qualities that can intertwine and impact national issues like health care and workers’ benefits.
