Platner Wins Second Senate Endorsement as Gallego Praises Him as 'Fighter' for Working Families

Published: Monday, March 2, 2026 at 9:55 pm

Senate hopeful Graham Platner has picked up a critical endorsement in Maine's Democratic primary as he seeks to take down five-term Republican incumbent Susan Collins in November.In a move challenging the party establishment, freshman Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) has endorsed the 41-year-old Marine veteran over the state's Democratic governor, Janet Mills, who has the backing of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and other leading centrists.Platner, a proponent of progressive economic policies like Medicare for All and an extreme wealth tax, and an outspoken critic of US military interventionism, already has the endorsement of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.). Now, as a recent poll shows him comfortably in the lead for the nomination and more likely than Mills to win in the general, Gallego said he thinks Platner's approach is the best chance Democrats have to nab Maine in November, which will be essential in their bid to flip the Senate blue.I think right now what people need and want is authenticity and a certain level of populism that theyre not going to get from Gov. Mills and theyre certainly not going to get from Collins, Gallego told the Washington Post. This is the candidate that can win.In a post to social media, he elaborated that Platner, "is the kind of fighter Maine hasnt seen in a long time, someone who tells you exactly what he thinks, doesnt owe anything to the special interests, and wakes up every day thinking about working families."Gallego, who is also a Marine veteran, noted Platner's similar background, saying he "reflects the grit and independence that defines Maine, and thats exactly why Im proud to endorse him."Platner's unexpected ascendancy in Maine has been described as a challenge to the conventional wisdom held by some Democratic strategists that moderation is the key to mass appeal, especially in a purple state. Platner described Gallego's endorsement as a sign that this narrative is starting to fray.Ive never heard the powers that be in Washington refer to Sen. Gallego as some kind of radical, and I think that he understands my actual politics and what were doing," Platner told the Post.The Post noted that Gallego has endorsed other candidates favored by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) in competitive primaries, including Reps. Angie Craig (D-Minn.) and Haley Stevens (D-Mich.). Thanking Gallego in a post to social media, Platner said, "Together in the Senate we will break the power of the billionaire class and end forever wars."

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