Graham Platner wants to oust Sen. Susan Collins — and disrupt national Dems’ plans to unite around Gov. Janet Mills.
By Holly Otterbein
08/19/2025
Platner is running on several progressive tenets — though he rejects the label “liberal” — and his announcement sets up the possibility of a clash between Democratic Party factions over generational change, Israel and other issues. In an interview with POLITICO, Platner said he would not support Chuck Schumer as Senate Majority Leader if Democrats managed to take back control in the 2026 midterm elections.
Platner embraced a number of progressive causes in his announcement video, calling for universal health care, saying “the enemy is the oligarchy,” and asking, “Why are we funding endless wars and bombing children?” He also zeroed in on high prices, a top concern of voters and one that helped fuel Mamdani’s rise in New York City.