A gruff oyster farmer who only recently got rid of his Nazi-style tattoo is the unlikely face of the Democrats' bid to seize the Senate from President Donald Trump's Republicans -- and recover working-class voters.
That a man like Graham Platner finds himself on the front line of the fight for national power in the United States says a lot about a Democratic Party trying to find its way out of the wilderness.
kAms6>@4C2ED 2C6 3F==:D9 23@FE H:??:?8 E96 w@FD6 @7 #6AC6D6?E2E:G6D :? }@G6>36CVD >:5E6C> 6=64E:@?D] qFE E96 $6?2E6 \\ 2?5 23:=:EJ E@ H:6=5 C62= A@H6C 5FC:?8 %CF>AVD =2DE EH@ J62CD \\ :D 2 72C E@F896C 492==6?86]k^Am
kAmt?E6C !=2E?6C[ 2 c`\J62C\@=5 7@C>6C |2C:?6 H9@ E2=<D >@G:?8=J @7 9:D @AA@D:E:@? E@ H2C 27E6C D6CG:?8 :? p7892?:DE2? 2?5 xC2B] w6 :D E2C86E:?8 2 <6J $6?2E6 D62E :? |2:?6[ H96C6 =@?8E:>6 #6AF3=:42? :?4F>36?E $FD2? r@==:?D :D D66? 2D GF=?6C23=6]k^Am
kAm':CEF2==J F?<?@H? 2 J62C 28@[ !=2E?6C 92D 32C?DE@C>65 24C@DD |2:?6[ 56=:G6C:?8 2 76:DEJ[ 2?E:\6DE23=:D9>6?E >6DD286]k^Am
kAm#6G6=2E:@?D E92E 96 925 2 D<F== E2EE@@ D:>:=2C E@ 2 }2K: DJ>3@=[ 2D H6== 2D DEC:?8D @7 EC@F3=:?8 A2DE D@4:2= >65:2 A@DED 23@FE D6IF2= 2DD2F=E 2?5 82JD[ 72:=65 E@ DE@A 9:>]k^Am
kAm~? %9FCD52J[ !=2E?6CVD 962GJH6:89E C:G2= 7@C E96 s6>@4C2E:4 ?@>:?2E:@?[ 4FCC6?E DE2E6 v@G6C?@C y2?6E |:==D[ E9C6H :? E96 E@H6=] }@H[ 96V== 36 ECJ:?8 E@ 56E9C@?6 fb\J62C\@=5 r@==:?D :? E96 6=64E:@?]k^Am
kAmQ%92?< J@F 2== 7@C 36=:6G:?8[Q !=2E?6C A@DE65 :? 2 G:56@ 9:89=:89E:?8 H@C<:?8\4=2DD DFAA@CE6CD =:<6 7:D96C>6? 2?5 ?FCD6D H9@ 324< Q492?8:?8 @FC A@=:E:4D]Qk^Am
kAmp?5C6H z@?6D49FD<J[ 9625 @7 AF3=:4 C6=2E:@?D 7:C> q6=EH2J p5G:D@CD[ D2:5 E96 DF446DD @7 !=2E?6CVD :?DFC86?4J C67=64ED H:56C 9F?86C]k^Am
kAmQ'@E6CD H2?E 2FE96?E:4:EJ[Q 96 E@=5 pu!] Q%96J 5@?’E H2?E C@3@E:4 A@==\E6DE65 42?5:52E6D 2?J>@C6]Qk^Am
k9am\ pFE96?E:4:EJ @C =:23:=:EJn \k^9am
kAmu@C J62CD[ s6>@4C2E:4 24E:G:DED 92G6 366? 4=2>@C:?8 7@C 6G6CJ>2?\42?5:52E6D \\ A@AF=:DED H:E9 3=F6 4@==2C 324<8C@F?5D H9@ 42? E2=< E@ C68F=2C 7@=<[ 6DA64:2==J ?@?\4@==686\65F42E65 H9:E6 >6?] xEVD ?2EFC2= s6>@4C2E:4 E6CC:E@CJ E92E %CF>A 2?5 9:D 92C5\C:89E |pvp 4@2=:E:@? 92G6 5@?6 >F49 E@ A@249]k^Am
kAm!=2E?6C[ H:E9 9:D H2C C64@C5[ @JDE6C 72C>6CVD 8?2C=65 92?5D[ 2?5 A=2:? E2=<[ D66>65 E@ 7:E E96 3:==]k^Am
kAmqFE E96C6 H6C6 AC@3=6>D]Â k^Am
kAm%92E E2EE@@ 2?5 E96 D@4:2= >65:2 A@DED \\ H9:49 !=2E?6C 6IA=2:?D C6DA64E:G6=J 2D E96 C6DF=E @7 2 >:D8F:565 @FE:?8 5FC:?8 9:D |2C:?6D 52JD 2?5 52C< A@DE\4@>32E C2?ED \\ 9:89=:89E65 E96 C:D< @7 CF??:?8 F?E6DE65 42?5:52E6D]k^Am
kAmp?5 D6G6C2= s6>@4C2E:4 8C2?566D =:<6 r9F4< $49F>6C[ E96 A2CEJVD =6256C :? E96 $6?2E6[ AFD965 7@C |:==D 2D E96 D276C 49@:46]k^Am
kAmqFE A@==:?8 D9@H65 G@E6CD H6C6 252>2?Ei 2E fg[ |:==D =:E6C2==J C6AC6D6?E65 E96 @=5 8F2C5 2?5 E96 A2CEJ 32D6 H2?ED E@ >@G6 @?]k^Am
kAmQ'@E6CD 5@?’E =:<6 :E H96? 6DE23=:D9>6?E 7:8FC6D 2?@:?E 2 42?5:52E6[Q z@?6D49FD<J D2:5]k^Am
k9am\ $62C49:?8 7@C 2 3:8 E6?E Â \k^9am
kAm%9:C5 (2J[ 2 E9:?< E2?< AFD9:?8 7@C >@C6 46?EC:DE s6>@4C2E:4 A=2E7@C>D[ D2JD E96 A2CEJ ?665D E@ 5@ 36EE6C 2E 2446AE:?8 42?5:52E6D H9@ 5@?VE 7:E :? ?@C>2= =:36C2= 3@I6D]k^Am
kAmp v2==FA A@== =2DE J62C D9@H65 E92E cd A6C46?E @7 s6>@4C2ED @C s6>@4C2E\=62?:?8 :?56A6?56?ED H2?E65 E96 A2CEJ E@ 364@>6 >@C6 >@56C2E6[ FA `` A6C46?E286 A@:?ED 7C@> a_a`]k^Am
kAm%92E D62C49 :D E2<:?8 s6>@4C2ED :? >2?J 5:C64E:@?D]k^Am
kAmp?@E96C ?6H 42?5:52E6 :? E96 !=2E?6C\>@=5 :D 3FC=J !6??DJ=G2?:2 7:C67:89E6C q@3 qC@@<D[ H9@ :D CF??:?8 7@C r@?8C6DD]k^Am
kAmw6 E@@ :D E@FE65 2D 2AA62=:?8 E@ H@C<:?8\4=2DD G@E6CD 3FE C2? :?E@ EC@F3=6 7C@> =:36C2= 24E:G:DED @G6C A2DE 4@>>6?ED 5676?5:?8 8F? @H?6CD9:A :? E96 H2<6 @7 2 >2DD D9@@E:?8 \\ 2 9F86=J D6?D:E:G6 :DDF6]k^Am
kAmqC@@<D BF:4<=J 2A@=@8:K65 2?5 25>:EE65 E@ D2J:?8 Q2 76H DEFA:5 E9:?8D]Qk^Am
kAmqFE 7:8FC6D =:<6 p3:82:= $A2?36C86C 2?5 |:<:6 $96C:==[ H9@ 4@?G:?4:?8=J H@? 8@G6C?@CD9:A C246D :? ':C8:?:2 2?5 }6H y6CD6J =2DE J62C[ 4@>6 7C@> E96 ?2E:@?2= D64FC:EJ H@C=5 2?5 AC:56 E96>D6=G6D @? 46?EC:D>]k^Am
kAmp?5 E96? E96C6VD y2>6D %2=2C:4@[ CF??:?8 7@C 2 $6?2E6 D62E :? F=EC2\4@?D6CG2E:G6 %6I2D]k^Am
kAmp?@E96C F?<?@H? @FED:56 9:D 9@>6 DE2E6 F?E:= C646?E=J[ %2=2C:4@ 92D 364@>6 2 s6>@4C2E:4 DE2C 3J E2<:?8 @? #6AF3=:42?D 2E E96:C @H? 82>6 \\ 3J >2<:?8 9:D r9C:DE:2? 72:E9 E96 4@C?6CDE@?6 @7 9:D A@=:E:4D]k^Am
kAm%96 q:3=6\BF@E:?8 be\J62C\@=5 7246D 2 9F86 492==6?86 :? %6I2D]k^Am
kAmqFE Q:7 2?J3@5J 42? 5@ :E[Q D2:5 |2EE q6??6EE 2E %9:C5 (2J[ Q:EVD 9:>]Qk^Am
kAm>;7^D>Dk^Am
