Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner joined Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-V.t) on the first stop of their "Fighting Oligarchy" tour, in which the pair criticized Washington’s political establishment and career politicians.
Platner and Sanders rallied supporters Sunday night in Orono, Maine, and vowed to upend a political system that he believes is rigged against working-class Americans.
“The politics of Susan Collins, a politician that turns politicians into millionaires but tells you to be grateful for crumbs,” Platner told supporters. “It is a lie. It is a lie intended to serve the billionaire class.”
Platner emerged as the Democratic front-runner against the longtime incumbent after Maine Gov. Janet Mills dropped out of the Senate race. Prior to ending her campaign, Mills and Platner were vying for the Democratic nomination in the June primary.
Platner emerged as a popular candidate despite facing controversy over past comments he made online and a tattoo he had that is widely recognized as a Nazi symbol. The Maine Democrat has positioned himself against the "ruling class" in his efforts to unseat Collin, who is running for her sixth term in the Senate.
Democrats have been targeting Collins’s seat as they try to win control of the closely divided Senate.
In 2021, Collins became the longest-serving Republican female senator in U.S. history. She also holds the title of the longest-serving Republican woman in the chamber. The longtime senator has cast more than 9,000 consecutive votes and holds the longest perfect voting record in the history of the U.S. Senate, according to her biography.
Sanders argued Sunday night that Americans are tired of the “status quo” and seek real change in Washington.
The primary will be held June 9 and the general election is set for Nov. 3.
Platner and Sanders head to Portland on Monday night for their next stop on the tour.
Meanwhile, Collins spent Memorial Day meeting with local veterans during a parade in Searsmont.
Collins also met with health care professionals and community leaders at Togus VA Medical Center to celebrate the opening of Maine’s new Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program, a facility she said will help ensure veterans struggling with substance use disorder can receive inpatient treatment close to home.