Sanders Will Rally With Maine Challenger To Susan Collins, Graham Platner

Platner condemned “endless wars” and backed universal health care in his campaign launch video.

By Sharon Zhang, TruthOut

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) is headed to Maine for a Labor Day rally with “progressive” candidates for statewide races — including a candidate running to unseat Republican stalwart Sen. Susan Collins (Maine) whose campaign has garnered attention for its populist promises in recent days.

Sanders announced that his “Fighting Oligarchy” tour will stop in Portland, Maine, where he will rally with gubernatorial candidate Troy Jackson and U.S. Senate candidate Graham Platner.

Platner launched his campaign last week to unseat Collins, who has held her seat for nearly 30 years, having easily survived previous Democratic challenges. She is up for reelection in 2026.

In his first campaign ad on August 19, Platner called her a member of the oligarchy who has helped to erode the lives of working class Americans across the country.

“The enemy is the oligarchy. It’s the billionaires who pay for it, and the politicians who sell us out. And yeah, that means politicians like Susan Collins,” he said.

“Why can’t we have universal health care, like every other first world country? Why can’t we take care of our veterans when they come home? Why are we funding endless wars and bombing children? Why are CEOs more powerful than unions? We’ve fought three different wars since the last time we raised the minimum wage,” he went on.

Platner rejects labels, but has garnered praise for his statements calling Israel’s siege on Gaza a genocide. He posted a photo on social media of his high school yearbook, where he held up a sign that called for a free Palestine, as well as other besieged regions like Kosovo and Kashmir.