Graham Platner

Some Lesser Known Facts About Graham Platner

• Graham Cunningham Platner was raised in Sullivan and Ellsworth, two coastal towns near Acadia National Park.

• His grandfather was the modernist architect Warren Platner.

• During his school years, he was known for his political awareness and activism. At age 18, he protested against President George W. Bush and the Iraq War at Bangor International Airport.

• After completing school in 2003, Platner joined the United States Marine Corps. He trained at the Marine Corps School of Infantry and was deployed to Iraq in 2005.

• He served for eight years in the military, completing three combat tours in Iraq, including Ramadi and Fallujah.

• After four years of military service, he enrolled at George Washington University under the G.I. Bill. During this time, he joined the Maryland Army National Guard and later served in Afghanistan.

• Between 2011 and 2016, he divided his time between studies, bartending in Washington D.C., and military deployments.

• He left George Washington University in 2016 to return to Maine for treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other service-related injuries.

• In 2018, Platner worked for about six months in Kabul, Afghanistan, as a State Department security contractor with Constellis, formerly known as Blackwater.

• The same year, he returned to Maine after becoming disillusioned with private defence companies.

• During a short leave in 2018, he learned oyster farming from Jock Crothers, founder of Waukeag Neck Oyster Co.

• Later that year, he began working full-time at the farm. In 2020, he took ownership of the company and now operates it with his wife, Amy Gertner, and a business partner.

• He also runs a mooring and dive service in Sullivan. Platner serves as the harbormaster and chairs the planning board of Sullivan, Maine.

• He has also been active in local politics through the Acadia Action group. On 19 August 2025, Platner launched his campaign for the 2026 U.S. Senate election in Maine as a Democratic candidate against Senator Susan Collins.

• His campaign video gained over 2.5 million views in one day. Within nine days, his campaign raised $1 million and attracted thousands of volunteers.

• Senator Bernie Sanders endorsed Platner on 30 August 2025. The endorsement event in Portland was moved to a larger venue due to public interest.

• Other supporters included musician Ken Casey from Dropkick Murphys and several labour unions such as the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, Maine State Nurses Association, and United Auto Workers.

• By September 2025, Platner’s campaign reported more than 6,000 volunteers and large attendance at his town hall meetings.

• In October 2025, media outlets published his old Reddit posts from 2013–2021, where he had described himself as a communist and criticised police and white Americans.

• He later apologised, explaining that the posts reflected his frustration during his PTSD recovery period. After the reports, his political director resigned from the campaign.

• Later in October 2025, Platner admitted having a skull-and-bones tattoo similar to the Nazi Totenkopf symbol. He said he got the tattoo in Croatia in 2007 without knowing its meaning and had since covered it up.

• Platner identifies as a populist and supports economic reforms, Medicare for All, and higher taxes on billionaires.

• He often criticises U.S. military spending and overseas wars. He supports gun rights for rural communities and red flag laws with careful implementation.

• He opposes voter ID restrictions and supports LGBTQIA+ rights. He has been outspoken against Israel’s military actions in Gaza and refuses funding from pro-Israel political groups.

• Platner credits his military experience for shaping his anti-war and pro-working-class views. He believes that the U.S. political and economic system benefits the wealthy at the expense of common people.

• His wife, Amy Gertner, manages their oyster business.

• Platner lives in Sullivan, Maine, and is a competitive pistol shooter and firearms instructor.