Graham Platner, a U.S. Marine and Army veteran who served four tours in Iraq and Afghanistan before returning home to farm oysters in his hometown of Sullivan, announced his campaign Aug. 19 for U.S. Senate against Senator Susan Collins.

In a news release, Platner said he has been drawn to service his whole life, service to his country, his state, his small town.

"It’s this same drive to serve that drew him to run for this Senate seat to fight to make Maine more affordable for working people," the release said.

“Year after year, we send people to Washington who say they will fight for working people, and year after year, they let us down," he said, in the release. "If working people want to be truly represented in Washington, we need to send working people to Congress. I love Maine. I love Mainers. But we have watched this state become essentially unlivable for working people, as politicians sell us out and their billionaire donors just get richer and richer. It makes me deeply angry. I’m running to change that broken system.” 

In a video announcing the campaign, Graham spoke about why he’s running and what he’ll fight for in Washington (transcript below).

Graham said he will, "run a campaign grounded in making Maine more affordable, raising the minimum wage, strengthening unions,, and empowering working Mainers. Further, his decade serving overseas gave him a unique understanding of our country’s failed foreign policy."

Born in Blue Hill, and raised in Ellsworth and Sullivan, Graham is a lifelong Mainer. After high school, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps and served three deployments to Iraq. He returned to America and used the GI Bill to attend George Washington University.

"But when he saw some of the people he served with get deployed to Afghanistan, he realized his time in uniform was not over," the release said. "He enrolled in the Army National Guard and was soon deployed to Afghanistan. Eventually Graham was drawn back home to Maine by his desire to serve his community of Sullivan. He started working on an Oyster Farm on Frenchman Bay. He eventually took over the farm and has built it into a successful and well-known small business in the community. He also serves as Sullivan Harbormaster and Sullivan Planning Board Chair."

He lives in Sullivan with his wife, Amy, just three doors down from the house where he grew up. 

Video Transcript

What I love most about Maine are the people. I have never met people who are more hardscrabble even in a place that requires you to work two or three different jobs. 

We have watched this state become essentially unlivable for working class people. 

And it makes me deeply angry. 

My name is Graham Platner and I’m running for U.S. Senate in Maine to defeat Susan Collins. 

A decade of military service going overseas, farming oysters to feed my community, diving to lend a hand to other fishermen, trying to start a family. But everywhere I’ve gone it seems like the fabric of what holds us together is being ripped apart by billionaires and corrupt politicians profiting off of destroying our environment, driving our families into poverty, and crushing the middle class.

I did four infantry tours in the Marine Corps and the Army. I’m not afraid to name an enemy. And 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. I’m not fooled by this fake charade of Collins’ deliberations and moderation. The difference between Susan Collins and Ted Cruz is that at least Ted Cruz is honest about selling us out and not giving a damn. 

People know that the system is screwing them. They know it in their bones. Nobody around here can afford a house. Healthcare is a disaster. Hospitals are closing. We have watched all of that get ripped away from us, and everyone’s just trying to keep it all together. 

Why can’t we have universal healthcare 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 found three different wars since the last time we raised the minimum wage. 

I’m not pretending to have all the answers. But I know I’m asking the right questions. 

When I tell people around here that I’m running for Senate, sometimes the initial reaction is “what the f***?” But…

When I tell them why I’m doing it – because I truly do believe that we can build a system that is going to represent working people, the number one response has been “well thank God somebody’s going to do it.”

You’re supposed to fight for the things you love. This is our home. And I will fight tirelessly for it. For You.

It’s Mainers first. Maine always.