Graham Platner Wins Maine Democratic Senate Primary, Will Face Sen. Susan Collins in November

Graham Platner won the Maine Democratic Senate primary on June 9, receiving 72 percent of the vote and defeating Gov. Janet Mills. Mills had suspended campaign activities in April but remained on the ballot.

David Costello finished third. Platner, a Marine veteran, oyster farmer and progressive activist, delivered his victory speech at campaign headquarters in Blue Hill, Maine. In the speech, Platner addressed personal controversies that had surfaced during the campaign.

“Redemption is not just some simple or easy destination, it’s a journey,” he said. “I’ve made mistakes in my life, mistakes that I regret, that I live with, that I continue to learn from,” Platner said. He pledged to represent voters without political influence.

“And if you give me the chance, I will be a senator for the people who cannot afford to buy a senator,” Platner said. Platner also outlined his policy stance. “I will stand up for you and against billionaires and greedy corporations,” he said.

Platner turned to his general-election opponent, Sen. Susan Collins. “The truth is, Susan Collins does not serve us,” he said. “She serves Donald Trump. ” He framed the race as part of a larger movement.

“Maine, I love you. I love this state,” Platner said. “Now, the national pundits, the political establishment, they keep looking for that one story, that one headline, that one moment in my life that they can define the campaign by.

This is a movement about us, about the far-too-many, working far-too-hard, and struggling far-too-much, at the hands of the ruling class. ” Platner will face Collins in the November general election.