Sanders wades into one of Democrats' best Senate pickup opportunities

[In It to Win It]

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) on Saturday endorsed political newcomer Graham Platner’s Maine Senate bid, amid Democratic leadership’s push to recruit Gov. Janet Mills to run against GOP Sen. Susan Collins.

“Graham is a Marine and Army National Guard veteran, an oyster farmer, and a proud member of America’s working class. He’s a Mainer through and through, and he is building a movement strong enough to take on the oligarchy that is making Maine unaffordable for all except a privileged few,” Sanders wrote in his announcement, adding that “we need senators in Washington who are prepared to take on the billionaire class and fight for working people.”

Sanders is also set to host a rally on Monday with Platner and former state Senate President Troy Jackson, whom Sanders endorsed for governor earlier this year.

Platner, a 40-year-old oysterman and veteran with no prior political experience, launched his bid to challenge Collins earlier this month, throwing a potential wrench in Democrats’ plan to recruit and rally behind Mills in the race.

https://www.politico.com/news/2025/08/30/bernie-sanders-endorsement-maine-graham-platner-00538084

[BoRaGard]

1. Uh oh - another honorable veteran. G.O.P. will go ballistic trashing him

Led by their draft-dodging felon, Epstein Bestie, and golf cheat, the repubes do their damndest to destroy any honorable veteran who is pledged to honor and defend the US Constitution.

The repubes have a long, ugly track record on this score.

They will show their twisted unpatriotic hands again, no doubt.

[Autumn]

12. It wont be just the GOP trashing him.

[Nanjeanne]

14. Ain't that the truth. But there is going to be a lot of energy behind him as well. Tomorrow he and

Troy Jackson, running for Gov will hold a Labor Day rally with Bernie.

PORTLAND, Maine — U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont will visit Portland on Labor Day to rally Democrats ahead of the 2026 general election.
Sanders is set to headline what organizers are calling a “Fighting Oligarchy” rally.
The event will also feature former Maine Senate President Troy Jackson, who is running for governor, and Graham Platner, a political newcomer who has drawn attention since announcing his candidacy for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Republican Sen. Susan Collins.

https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/politics/maine-politics/bernie-sanders-portland-maine-rally-troy-jackson-graham-platner/97-3499fb3e-8206-47ba-bf4d-41250011935b]

[Norbert]

19. The party of pedos, a 34 time felon, and thoughts and prayers over dead kids

will do their best to paint him pro-crime. Good luck with that.

[sheshe2]

2. He certainly hits all the high notes for Sanders.

“If national democrats are serious about reaching the male voters they’ve been hemorrhaging then they will support Graham for Senate,”

, “There's an anti-establishment angst in the country that I think is well-founded. People think that the system does not represent them, and they're not wrong at all. And I think that sending or choosing candidates who come from the establishment, come from politics — regardless of who they are as people, regardless of what they've pushed — is, in many ways right now, I think, a real liability.”

1. White Male Vote ✔️
2. Anti Establishment. ✔️

https://www.mainepublic.org/politics/2025-08-21/who-is-graham-platner-and-why-is-he-everywhere-right-now

[Oopsie Daisy]

4. Nailed it. You noticed, too, eh?

[sheshe2]

5. Hard not to.

[Nanjeanne]

3. He certainly hits the policies that match Bernie's -

His website has much info about him that gets me excited

I will be a Senator for all those who can’t buy Senators.

Healthcare is a basic human right — not a privilege, not a perk, a right. As a veteran, I’m fortunate to receive quality care through the VA. But Americans should not have to put on a uniform or fight in misguided foreign wars just to get decent healthcare. Every single person in this country deserves good healthcare, no matter who you are.
We have rural hospitals closing because of policy choices made by Republicans like Susan Collins. In the Senate, I will fight to fund our rural hospitals so that folks across Maine have access to the care they need.
I will be a strong supporter of a Medicare for All system, moving away from the for-profit insurance system that has brought us nothing but grief.

Our government is kidnapping people off the streets and imprisoning them in hellish conditions. This is unconscionable.

Maine is a special place, and our way of life, our economy, and our future depends on preserving it.
In the Senate, I will fight for urgent action on climate change. We see it; we know it’s happening; and we know that without sustained action, everything is at risk.

We need to bring back serious federal support for building housing.
The VA home loan program has provided a critical lifeline to many Americans. These home loans should be available to far more Americans, providing a critical lifeline.

And more - Defend Medicare and Medicaid

Protect Social Security – before it goes bankrupt

End billionaire tax dodging

Uphold tribal sovereignty and self-determination

Strengthen our working waterfront

Support unions, and bring good union jobs to Maine

Defend and support public schools

Keep government out of our private lives; defend the right to choose

Protect Maine’s economy: raise the federal minimum wage

Equality for ALL

End the failed War on Drugs

Take on waste and corruption at the Pentagon; rebuild American shipbuilding

No more pointless wars

Address the childcare crisis

Pay servicemen a fair wage; no more servicemen on food stamps

Defend the VA and support our veterans

Defend the Post Office and establish postal banking

Pass term limits – and hold politicians to their term limits pledges

His website with his platform https://www.grahamforsenate.com/platform]

Oyster farmer and military service — I hope Maine gives him a good hard look.

[lapucelle]

7. Healthcare as a human right has been in the Democratic Party platform since 1992.

https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/1992-democratic-party-platform

[Nanjeanne]

9. Yes but since it's unaffordable for most I like his support for Medicare For All. How sad that

Healthcare is a human right has been in the platform since 1992 and we still have millions without care and medical bankruptcy. Thanks for pointing that out. I’d forgotten how long. No wonder people are confused by platform words vs policy.

[lapucelle]

10. Since the implementation of the ACA, only about 8% of Americans

lack health care.

It's time for career politicians who have been in office for decades, running from one TV show to the next complaining that no one in Washington ever gets anything done, to actually do the work involved to get that 8% coverage.

[Nanjeanne]

11. Yes and average cost of premiums without govt help for family of 4 is $7,000 a year for lowest

tier plan and average yearly deductible for bronze tier is $5700. So for the cheapest plan without subsidies a family of four would on average pay almost $13,000 year before the insurance kicks in.

About 530,000 people go into bankruptcy each year from medical debt. And with your figure of ONLY a bit over 8 million uninsured that’s a lot of suffering.

Yup great.

[lapucelle]

16. Sounds like it's time for career politicians who have been kicking around DC for decades

to get to work.

[Nanjeanne]

17. Absolutely agree. It would really help if they supported Bernie's bill that he introduces each year.

More do every year but still those career politicians that get so much money from insurance lobbies just can’t be budged. So glad you agree.

[Autumn]

13. Very impressive. I belive heathcare for all is going to have to come into play in the next GE.

It can no longer just be some platitude on the Democratic platform. Dems are going to have to act on it.

[lapucelle]

6. The last time he weighed in, the result was Senator Fetterman. N/T

[Oopsie Daisy]

8. And there's that.

[Martin Eden]

15. I have a heartfelt wish for Bernie Sanders:

Long life with physical & mental vigor for a true servant of the American People.

[DFW]

18. Janet is 77, so there is that

But she is also sharp, experienced, and tough as nails, so there is that too. If Janet decides not to run, I'd understand, but as things stand, I'd love to have her wit and her experience for a term as Maine's next Senator. I expect to see her again at the end of the year, and will ask what her latest view is on the race, in case she has made no public announcement by then.

[Renew Deal]

20. Assuming she would serve an entire term would be a big assumption

[DFW]

22. I'm going to go out on a limb here and assume you've never met her

That is not the sort of statement someone who knows her would make.

[WarGamer]

21. If collins would just resign... it'd be a slam dunk.

But she seems like a cat with 9 lives...