Maine People’s Alliance endorses Graham Platner to face Collins for US Senate

February 4, 2026

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The member-led board of directors of Maine People’s Alliance has announced that it has voted unanimously to endorse Graham Platner in his primary run to face Sen. Susan Collins as the Democratic candidate for the 2026 U.S. Senate race.

MPA Board Co-Chair Gina Morin (they/them) said, “Listening to [Platner] during interviews and town halls, it is clear that he addresses the critical issues affecting our country and, specifically, Maine. He speaks directly to the reality that the top 1 percent are hoarding wealth while the middle class and the poor are left to go without. He has also addressed the need to fix the same issues we have been working on for years, such as health care affordability, the housing crisis, and immigrant rights. His activism drove him to seek this office out of frustration. His values and dedication are what align him with the Maine People’s Alliance.”

Additionally, Platner has been active and vocal in resisting ICE’s presence here in Maine and has been calling on our members of Congress to do more to protect everyone—in Maine and across the country—from ICE’s violent, racist tactics.

Platner, an oyster farmer and veteran from Sullivan, has been an active member of MPA’s Penobscot County chapter, helping us hold Sen. Susan Collins accountable to constituents. Last winter, he joined fellow MPA members in Washington, D.C., in a march to protect access to health care. Shortly after this, he began organizing locally in Hancock County, helping build grassroots power closer to home.

MPA Board Member Shaun Donnelly (he/him) said it’s clear that Platner is “grounded in the real challenges facing everyday Mainers because he faces them himself. Graham names the oligarchy and corporate greed as the true enemies of progress in Washington, and he understands that the only way to defeat them…is through grassroots organizing. His personal story of finding purpose through his community and activism has the power to inspire many who may feel angry, disconnected, or hopeless about politics. Graham is a talented leader whose values, vision, and strategy are aligned with the mission of Maine People’s Alliance.”

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With more than 32,000 members, MPA is the largest community organization in Maine, and one of the largest in the country. We work together on issues that include but are not limited to housing, care, climate change and environmental justice, health care access, racial justice, and immigrant rights.

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Contact: Nora Flaherty-Stanford (she/her), [email protected], (207) 370-8314