The Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate seat in Maine has turned into a political drama that even the most seasoned campaign veterans couldn’t script — a combustible mix of ideological purity tests, internet skeletons, and intra-party mudslinging now threatening to derail the left’s hopes of unifying behind a credible challenger.
At the center of it all is Graham Platner, a Bernie Sanders-endorsed candidate who has been introduced to the national political consciousness through a growing pile of controversial past statements, inflammatory social media posts, and now, troubling questions about the authenticity of his "working class" brand.
Graham Platner is not working class.
He came from a wealthy and prominent local family and attended an expensive college prep school where he was billed in the yearbook as 'Most Likely to Start a Revolution' while holding up a 'Free Palestine sign
— Daniel Greenfield - "Hang Together or Separately" (@Sultanknish) September 8, 2025
Platner has described himself as a "working class Mainer" and an oyster farmer — the kind of blue-collar narrative that plays well in a state where authenticity is often a more valuable currency than party backing. But that persona took a direct hit this week, as it was revealed that Platner is a graduate of an elite Connecticut boarding school with a yearly price tag north of $75,000 — the kind of pedigree more commonly associated with Washington insiders than working-class grit. The school’s alumni list reads like a who's who of American power, including a Supreme Court justice, a CIA director, and media figures like Chris Wallace.
This revelation lands amid a cascade of other controversies. Past Reddit posts have surfaced showing Platner referring to himself as a "communist," calling police officers "btards," and making racially charged and misogynistic comments. His defense — that he was an "internet shposter" — might be mildly effective for softening tone, but it hardly erases content. Then there’s the Nazi-themed tattoo — reportedly obtained while drunk in Croatia in 2007, now covered — which has drawn bipartisan discomfort, regardless of context.
Bernie Sanders on why he still endorses Graham Platner: "I'm not overly impressed by a squad of media running around saying, 'what do you think about the tattoo on Graham Platner's chest?'"
Sanders suggests Platner was sympathetic to Nazis because he was in the U.S. military pic.twitter.com/9vF4NnCP8l
— Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) October 22, 2025
Even Platner’s most committed defenders are finding it harder to explain away a high school yearbook photo showing him holding a sign calling to "Free Palestine," "Free Chechnya," and "Free Kosovo." At the time, Platner also wrote an op-ed equating terrorist organizations with "freedom fighters," suggesting the media paints them with a one-sided brush. That sort of radical worldview may have made him a darling of the furthest left, but it's now threatening to collapse any semblance of mainstream electability.
Still, Senator Bernie Sanders is standing firm, blaming the turmoil not on Platner's past but on what he sees as a calculated takedown by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and the Democratic establishment. Schumer has thrown his weight behind Gov. Janet Mills, whose bid has been far less headline-grabbing — and perhaps for good reason.
But the deeper issue isn’t just Platner’s record — it’s what it exposes within the Democratic Party itself. The tension between the progressive wing and the institutional core is once again boiling into full view. The left demands ideological purity and outsider status, while the center prizes strategic pragmatism and electability. Platner’s campaign, whether it implodes or limps forward, is becoming a flashpoint in that wider civil war.
For now, the race is still wide open, but the damage may be lasting. With each new revelation, the Democratic establishment’s worst-case scenario inches closer: a general election where Republicans face a deeply wounded, scandal-laden nominee — or worse, a splintered Democratic base unable to rally behind whoever survives this primary slugfest.