Graham Platner, the oyster farmer seeking to become Maine’s next Senator, has seized frontrunner status in the Democratic primary with a progressive vision that’s finally finding an audience in the historically moderate state.
The Maine race is a must-win for Democrats, who need a net gain of four seats in November’s midterm elections to claim a Senate majority and see an opportunity to oust Republican Susan Collins from a seat she’s held for nearly 30 years. A series of recent polls have put Platner ahead of his main challenger in the June 9 Democratic primary, two-term Maine Governor Janet Mills, even as he faces backlash for misogynistic and offensive social media posts he made years ago. Platner earned 55% support among likely primary voters to Mills’ 28% in an Emerson College poll released Thursday.
Platner’s campaign is centered on an ire for billionaires, big corporations and the Washington establishment on both sides of the aisle. He’s called for universal healthcare and higher taxes on the rich, denouncing elements of the national Democratic party as too beholden to corporate power.
It’s a radical message for Maine, a state with the country’s oldest population and a long history of favoring centrists. It’s also far from the norm for the Democratic party writ large, which in recent years has focused more on criticizing President Donald Trump than big new ideas.
“…the Washington establishment on both sides of the aisle.”
Sounds like another John Fetterman.
ifitmoves on
Black Rock leftist with a Nazi tattoo is peak USA
letsago9987 on
wake up democratic establishment. you have no credibility with your own voters to the point they will pick almost anyone vs your preferred candidate.
NoWorth2591 on
God I hope Platner isn’t Fetterman 2.0. I really can’t tell with this guy.
Fractured_Senada on
I can’t believe so many people in threads about this dude truly think this dude is Fetterman 2.0. If I’m wrong, so be it, but is taking a chance on someone flawed who at the very least has been talking the talk when there isn’t a better candidate *that* big of a risk? You guys really want more Collins?
Yeah, he was a solider, worked his way up in his career to black rock mercenary, and had a Nazi-esque tattoo. People *can* change and if we judge everyone by the worst parts of their past, we are doomed.
The enemy of my enemy is my friend.
jishurr on
Lot of idiots or bots from the opposition on this post
thelunarunit on
What’s comical is how people don’t see the same parallels that got Trump elected helping this guy. No I am not saying he is like trump, for clarification. The voters are angry as hell and will rally around anyone that speaks to that rage. You either tap into that rage or someone else will. Not addressing real issues will create opportunities for people to use or exploit that rage. Its a dangerous time.
Bakedads on
I’m sorry, but if he isn’t calling for the arrest of republican terrorists, then I don’t really care what he has to say. That’s the only policy I care about: accountability.
mindfu on
Whoever wins Democratic primary is the person we should support.
Literally_Laura on
Inequality? Tell me it’s inequality!
river_tree_nut on
I’m glad to see we reached the point where old Reddit dumbass comments and questionable teenage edge lord tats are less of a liability than being a corpo dem.
LurkinsteinMonster on
We can fret that Platner will be another Fetterman, but I’m more fearful that Mills will be another Dianne Feinstein. I think it’s incredibly irresponsible and selfish for any 79-year-old to sign up for such a critical six-year commitment. I don’t care how sharp or energetic she is today–we want some degree of confidence that she will be equal to the task at age 85, a pretty big question mark for anyone.
Captain__Trips on
The most braindead take is that he is another Fetterman. Fetterman was always a Liberal Zionist, it just didn’t matter to people until post Oct 7th, and there was no salvaging his left wing supporters if he planned to stick with Israel, which he did. Graham is nothing like that. He’s had a consistent and strong platform since he started campaigning. The dumb Nazi tattoo only makes him more appealing to the type of “dumb guy” voters that usually vote Republican (that Democrats have been dying to appeal to). If he does get hit with the stroke gun and become a fetterman, that just means he’s another asshole politician in a sea of assholes. Not that much lost. We should be supporting Platner until proven otherwise.
dBlock845 on
Watching the Mills town hall was absolutely brutal. No idea how anyone could vote for her, even if you are fully enveloped in anti-Platner propaganda there is still no argument to vote for Mills.
scrranger11 on
He better not Fetterturn us
Bishopkilljoy on
I saw the zoom town hall she did… Holy crap was she out of touch.
Her only standing point against him are his old tattoos and comments he made on Reddit. Really sad.
yearisaday on
If this guy manages to gain any real political power he will be corrupted just like the others. If he can change from a nazi to a reasonable potential candidate then he can almost certainly morph into just another representative of the billionaire class.
Bearded_Pip on
Maine voters are apparently not pissed at nazis. Or Blackwater. But they should be.
thirstygregory on
Here is an in-depth, recent interview with Platner. I still have questions about the tattoo, but he seems to have a solidly progressive/anti-facist history going back decades and liberal platform. Does not seem at all like a Nazi.
I personally don’t think he’s a Fetterman after this. I hope if he wins he puts those concerns to bed.
Platner is a prime example of running candidates uniquely suited to their regions.
He has a progressive populist platform, comes from a blue collar background, does not tolerate bullshit, and is just about a stereotypical sailor from Maine lol like I feel like he could be in a Stephen King book type shit.
It’s just hard to paint a more electable picture in a Maine senate race.
I think we’re on the correct trajectory as a party with the new blood getting involved.
BUT a lot is riding on Platner, if he Fetterman’s it up, the damage done will be generational.
False_Cookie8226 on
Nazi Fetterman 2.0, remember you were warned
kharvel0 on
Let’s game this out.
Assuming that he is another Fetterman or worse and votes against most of the Democtatic agenda, how would this change anything? It would be no different than Collins being re-elected.
So at worst, we have another Collins in the seat. At best, we have a Bernie Bro in the seat.
This is not an argument for Janet Mills, though because she would have lesser chance of beating Collins anyway.
Bumblesavage on
Election is still months away , this was the same thing which was said earlier too , but democratic voters didn’t come to the booth so let’s talk only after they win and hopefully not becoming a Fetterman
salami_on_a_bagel on
Very concerned with this!
SILVER-com on
we gotta tear the system down. i don’t think we can vote out way out of this. give us all the best, won’t matter cause they are doing everything they can to disenfranchise voter. if you haven’t already got your passport, i would just in case if you can’t find your birth certificate. even then, make plans and preparations for the election to be cancelled. we only have one year to fix this. if we can’t vote in a new enough congress to impeach and convict not just him, but all the co conspirators. this is not gonna be easy and will not happen over one election, which is why i think most of them will elude justice. we must act if our election result is not ideal for us to remove this regime root and stem. everyone should make it their duty to sign up people to vote.
inkarnata on
I just hope he doesn’t turn into a Fetterman.
StarrrBrite on
You mean the Nazi who believes women are partially responsible for their rape?
30 Comments
*More From Bloomberg News Reporter Greg Ryan*
Graham Platner, the oyster farmer seeking to become Maine’s next Senator, has seized frontrunner status in the Democratic primary with a progressive vision that’s finally finding an audience in the historically moderate state.
The Maine race is a must-win for Democrats, who need a net gain of four seats in November’s midterm elections to claim a Senate majority and see an opportunity to oust Republican Susan Collins from a seat she’s held for nearly 30 years. A series of recent polls have put Platner ahead of his main challenger in the June 9 Democratic primary, two-term Maine Governor Janet Mills, even as he faces backlash for misogynistic and offensive social media posts he made years ago. Platner earned 55% support among likely primary voters to Mills’ 28% in an Emerson College poll released Thursday.
Platner’s campaign is centered on an ire for billionaires, big corporations and the Washington establishment on both sides of the aisle. He’s called for universal healthcare and higher taxes on the rich, denouncing elements of the national Democratic party as too beholden to corporate power.
It’s a radical message for Maine, a state with the country’s oldest population and a long history of favoring centrists. It’s also far from the norm for the Democratic party writ large, which in recent years has focused more on criticizing President Donald Trump than big new ideas.
[Read the full story here](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2026-03-27/graham-platner-s-tattoo-controversy-isn-t-holding-him-back-in-senate-race)
“…the Washington establishment on both sides of the aisle.”
Sounds like another John Fetterman.
Black Rock leftist with a Nazi tattoo is peak USA
wake up democratic establishment. you have no credibility with your own voters to the point they will pick almost anyone vs your preferred candidate.
God I hope Platner isn’t Fetterman 2.0. I really can’t tell with this guy.
I can’t believe so many people in threads about this dude truly think this dude is Fetterman 2.0. If I’m wrong, so be it, but is taking a chance on someone flawed who at the very least has been talking the talk when there isn’t a better candidate *that* big of a risk? You guys really want more Collins?
Yeah, he was a solider, worked his way up in his career to black rock mercenary, and had a Nazi-esque tattoo. People *can* change and if we judge everyone by the worst parts of their past, we are doomed.
The enemy of my enemy is my friend.
Lot of idiots or bots from the opposition on this post
What’s comical is how people don’t see the same parallels that got Trump elected helping this guy. No I am not saying he is like trump, for clarification. The voters are angry as hell and will rally around anyone that speaks to that rage. You either tap into that rage or someone else will. Not addressing real issues will create opportunities for people to use or exploit that rage. Its a dangerous time.
I’m sorry, but if he isn’t calling for the arrest of republican terrorists, then I don’t really care what he has to say. That’s the only policy I care about: accountability.
Whoever wins Democratic primary is the person we should support.
Inequality? Tell me it’s inequality!
I’m glad to see we reached the point where old Reddit dumbass comments and questionable teenage edge lord tats are less of a liability than being a corpo dem.
We can fret that Platner will be another Fetterman, but I’m more fearful that Mills will be another Dianne Feinstein. I think it’s incredibly irresponsible and selfish for any 79-year-old to sign up for such a critical six-year commitment. I don’t care how sharp or energetic she is today–we want some degree of confidence that she will be equal to the task at age 85, a pretty big question mark for anyone.
The most braindead take is that he is another Fetterman. Fetterman was always a Liberal Zionist, it just didn’t matter to people until post Oct 7th, and there was no salvaging his left wing supporters if he planned to stick with Israel, which he did. Graham is nothing like that. He’s had a consistent and strong platform since he started campaigning. The dumb Nazi tattoo only makes him more appealing to the type of “dumb guy” voters that usually vote Republican (that Democrats have been dying to appeal to). If he does get hit with the stroke gun and become a fetterman, that just means he’s another asshole politician in a sea of assholes. Not that much lost. We should be supporting Platner until proven otherwise.
Watching the Mills town hall was absolutely brutal. No idea how anyone could vote for her, even if you are fully enveloped in anti-Platner propaganda there is still no argument to vote for Mills.
He better not Fetterturn us
I saw the zoom town hall she did… Holy crap was she out of touch.
Her only standing point against him are his old tattoos and comments he made on Reddit. Really sad.
If this guy manages to gain any real political power he will be corrupted just like the others. If he can change from a nazi to a reasonable potential candidate then he can almost certainly morph into just another representative of the billionaire class.
Maine voters are apparently not pissed at nazis. Or Blackwater. But they should be.
Here is an in-depth, recent interview with Platner. I still have questions about the tattoo, but he seems to have a solidly progressive/anti-facist history going back decades and liberal platform. Does not seem at all like a Nazi.
I personally don’t think he’s a Fetterman after this. I hope if he wins he puts those concerns to bed.
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/death-sex-money-after-two-wars-and-ptsd-he-became/id279188498?i=1000752843059
Platner is a prime example of running candidates uniquely suited to their regions.
He has a progressive populist platform, comes from a blue collar background, does not tolerate bullshit, and is just about a stereotypical sailor from Maine lol like I feel like he could be in a Stephen King book type shit.
It’s just hard to paint a more electable picture in a Maine senate race.
I think we’re on the correct trajectory as a party with the new blood getting involved.
BUT a lot is riding on Platner, if he Fetterman’s it up, the damage done will be generational.
Nazi Fetterman 2.0, remember you were warned
Let’s game this out.
Assuming that he is another Fetterman or worse and votes against most of the Democtatic agenda, how would this change anything? It would be no different than Collins being re-elected.
So at worst, we have another Collins in the seat. At best, we have a Bernie Bro in the seat.
This is not an argument for Janet Mills, though because she would have lesser chance of beating Collins anyway.
Election is still months away , this was the same thing which was said earlier too , but democratic voters didn’t come to the booth so let’s talk only after they win and hopefully not becoming a Fetterman
Very concerned with this!
we gotta tear the system down. i don’t think we can vote out way out of this. give us all the best, won’t matter cause they are doing everything they can to disenfranchise voter. if you haven’t already got your passport, i would just in case if you can’t find your birth certificate. even then, make plans and preparations for the election to be cancelled. we only have one year to fix this. if we can’t vote in a new enough congress to impeach and convict not just him, but all the co conspirators. this is not gonna be easy and will not happen over one election, which is why i think most of them will elude justice. we must act if our election result is not ideal for us to remove this regime root and stem. everyone should make it their duty to sign up people to vote.
I just hope he doesn’t turn into a Fetterman.
You mean the Nazi who believes women are partially responsible for their rape?
Can’t wait for his Fetterman villian arc.
Is that the one with the nazi tatoo?