Graham Platner, Democratic candidate for Senate in Maine, delivered a fiery speech alongside Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-VT) and former Maine State Sen. Troy Jackson during a tour stop in Portland, declaring, “We will not just fight the oligarchy, we will defeat the oligarchy.”
Addressing the crowd, Platner said that everyday Americans already understand the effects of concentrated wealth and power in what he described as an entrenched oligarchy controlling the American political system. “We know the word. Because we feel the consequences of it every day in our bones,” Platner said at a campaign rally on Monday.
Calling not only for the defeat of the oligarchy but also of the political system he argued it maintains, Platner specifically criticized his opponent, longtime Maine Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME). He accused her of representing a political culture disconnected from ordinary people.
“It is a system that is the politics of Susan Collins, a politics that turns politicians into millionaires, but tells you to be grateful for crumbs,” Platner said.
Throughout the speech, Platner framed economic and social struggles as the result of deliberate political choices that benefit wealthy elites. “It is a lie. It is a lie intended to serve the billionaire class,” he said.
He also condemned what he described as false choices presented to the public by the political establishment, saying, “It is the lie we are told that we have to choose between clean water or affordable healthcare. It is the lie that there is always money, for forever wars, but never money, for our schools.”
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Platner’s appearance in Portland is a part of a broader political tour alongside Sanders and Jackson, who is currently running for governor of Maine. The tour focused heavily on economic inequality, corporate influence in politics, and expanding opportunities for working-class Americans.
Sanders has publicly backed both candidates, including endorsing Jackson in the race for governor, signaling progressive support behind their campaigns.