Maine oysterman launches bid to unseat Republican US Senator Susan Collins

By Nolan D. McCaskill

WASHINGTON, Aug 19 (Reuters) - A U.S. military veteran and oyster farmer on Tuesday launched a bid to unseat Republican U.S. Senator Susan Collins in Maine, as his party fights an uphill battle to try to recapture control of the chamber in next year's midterm elections.

Democrat Graham Platner, a Marine and Army veteran, said he’s angered by how unlivable the northeasternmost U.S. state has become for working-class people, blaming billionaires and corrupt politicians for hurting middle-class families and pushing others into poverty.

“I’m not afraid to name an enemy,” Platner said in a two-minute, 20-second launch video posted to X. “And yeah, that means politicians like Susan Collins. I’m not fooled by this fake charade of Collins’ deliberation and moderation.”

Platner’s campaign pits him against Jordan Wood, former chief of staff to former U.S. Representative Katie Porter of California, and comes as Democrats hope to recruit Maine Governor Janet Mills to challenge Collins. Two other high-profile Democrats, former Senator Sherrod Brown of Ohio and former North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper recently launched Senate bids in their states.

Republicans currently hold a 53-47 Senate majority, and are defending only two seats widely viewed as competitive by nonpartisan election analysts - Maine and North Carolina. That means that Democrats would have to defend all their seats and also secure wins in more deeply Republican states, such as Ohio or Iowa, to secure a majority.

Collins has a reputation as a centrist who occasionally bucks her party on key votes, including voting no on President Donald Trump's sweeping tax-cut and spending package nicknamed the One Big Beautiful Bill. She raised more than $2.4 million for her reelection in the most recent fundraising quarter and entered July with $3.2 million in her campaign account, according to federal campaign finance records.

First elected to the Senate in 1996, Collins has won reelection four times, including her 8-point victory over former Maine House Speaker Sara Gideon in 2020. Collins chairs the Appropriations Committee, which has jurisdiction over federal discretionary spending.

Former Vice President Kamala Harris won Maine in last November’s presidential election by nearly 7 percentage points.