The 42-year-old candidate describes himself as a "New Deal Democrat." Graham Platner earned the "most likely to start a revolution" yearbook superlative as a senior at John Bapst High School in 2003, appearing in the photo with a sign declaring "Free Kosova, Chechnya, Kashmir, Palestine, Kurdistan, Tibet".[7][8] When he was 18, he was quoted in the Bangor Daily News after protesting President George W. Bush and the illegal Iraq War at an appearance by Bush at Bangor International Airport.

Graham Platner served three combat tours in Iraq as a US Marine and one tour in Afghanistan as a member of the Maryland Army National Guard (MDARNG)

Asked why he served in the Iraq War after protesting it, Platner said, "I thought I could do some good. And I wanted to play soldier. I might have read too much [Ernest] Hemingway."

The group Patriotic Millionaires is endorsing Graham Platner.

The Maine Democratic Party primary takes place on Monday 9 June 2026.

Hi Corky

You said it.

Too bad the Republicans automatically get a dozen Senators every six years from Texas, the Dakotas, Florida, etc while non-status quo progressive candidates have to fight their own party to get a shot, like James Talarico in Texas or Zohran Mamdani in NYC.

Zohran met more opposition from his fellow Democrats to become NYC mayor, like from the abominable Andrew Cuomo.

Republican Curtis Sliwa was kinder towards Zohran. Curtis turned toward Zohran on the debate stage and expressed his outrage at the threats made against him. Those threats emanated from Cuomo's Islamophobic campaign. Cuomo looked down at his notes or sipped water during that exchange.

Thanks, Corky.

Puerto Rico and Wash DC statehood would give us an automatic four senators to counter the vile GOP.

The GOP will never let that happen. Too brown and too black for their taste.