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Graham Platner, born in 1984, is an American politician, oyster farmer, harbormaster, and military veteran from Maine. He is currently running in the Democratic primary for the 2026 U.S. Senate election in Maine, aiming to unseat Republican Susan Collins. His political platform is characterized as populist and progressive, focusing on issues like housing affordability and universal healthcare. He has received endorsements from labor unions and Senator Bernie Sanders.
Search interest in Graham Platner recently spiked due to a controversy surrounding a skull-and-crossbones tattoo on his chest, which resembles the Nazi Totenkopf symbol. He addressed this in an interview on 'Pod Save America' on October 21, 2025, stating he got the tattoo in 2007 as a Marine without knowing its Nazi connotations and plans to have it removed. Adding to the scrutiny, past controversial Reddit posts by Platner from 2013-2021 also surfaced, leading to the resignation of his political director. These revelations have put his Senate campaign under pressure.
Platner's explanation for his tattoo, attributing it to youthful indiscretion as a Marine, has been met with skepticism by some, including his former political director. Critics have also highlighted his past Reddit comments as problematic, while he argues they don't represent his current beliefs and were made during a period of disillusionment and PTSD after military service. His campaign's approach of addressing the controversies head-on has been noted as a 'risky' political strategy. Despite the controversies, he maintains progressive support, with some arguing against making an example of him for past mistakes.