The father of Graham Platner, an oyster farmer and Democratic Senate candidate from Maine, has contributed nearly $60,000 to various Democratic candidates and campaigns, as stated in federal records.
According to the Federal Election Commission (FEC), Bronson Platner, who is a retired attorney and former assistant district attorney, donated this amount to Democratic candidates and super PACs between 2011 and 2024. Additionally, he contributed $4,000 to independent Senator Angus King of Maine, who caucuses with the Democrats.
Graham Platner is positioned as a “working-class” Democrat running against Republican Senator Susan Collins. His father has also given $8,600 to the campaign of Maine Democratic Representative Jared Golden, who supports Graham’s run.
Bronson Platner has a background as a retired attorney and previously worked as an assistant district attorney. He even ran, albeit unsuccessfully, for the Ellsworth City Council in 2020.
Graham attended the prestigious Hotchkiss School in Connecticut, where the tuition exceeds $75,000 annually. It’s interesting to note that this school is roughly 90 miles from Yale University.
In a video for his campaign launch earlier this year, Platner described himself as “a working-class Mainer who has seen this state become less livable for working people.”
Platner’s educational journey reveals that he had a varied educational path; he was mentioned in a 2002 article commuting to a different school after a few years at Hotchkiss.
Furthermore, an expansion of Platner’s oyster farming operation drew attention from Congressman Golden in 2024, leading to a tour of the farm and a meeting with other local business owners.
Bronson Platner supported other Democratic candidates as well, including Sara Gideon, a former Maine House speaker, who lost her race against Senator Collins. Over the years, he has supported various political efforts, including those of notable Democrats like Barack Obama and Kamala Harris.
Graham Platner has faced some scrutiny lately due to past comments that have resurfaced, including controversial statements made in a since-deleted Reddit post from 2018 discussing armed working-class movements.
Bernie Sanders, who backs Platner, expressed that he is not overly concerned about the media focusing on trivial aspects of Platner’s character rather than substantial issues.
There have also been troubling allegations about Platner’s previous online comments regarding police and rural communities. A resurfaced video showed him with a tattoo similar to a Nazi symbol, which he later clarified he had covered up.
In a recent statement, Platner explained how he was unaware of the tattoo’s connotations and took steps to rectify it, indicating he was sorry for any misunderstanding it caused.
