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Graham Platner

Democrat

Sullivan, ME Harbormaster; Marine Corps and Army National Guard veteran; Frenchman Bay oyster farmer

Non-Incumbent · Public Record
PIP Political Integrity Pledge · Political Integrity PAC
  • No Corporate PAC Money
  • Stock Trading Ban
  • Lobbying Ban for Former Members
  • Overturn Citizens United

Primary: June 9, 2026 Last updated 2026-05-04

T Transparency
69.6%
+0.5 from Political Integrity Pledge

Top positive drivers

  • T1 66+ town halls across Maine since campaign launch (Castine #66 on April 22, 2026); 800+ at first Ellsworth event; in-person plus Zoom format; geographic coverage from Caribou to Lewiston to Brunswick. Quantifiable result. 4/4
  • T6 66+ town halls with substantive policy reasoning; multiple platform rollouts (End Billionaire Welfare tax plan April 15, 2026; Defend Democracy Agenda); long-form interviews with The New Yorker, Jon Stewart, Zeteo, Jewish Insider, NOTUS. Quantifiable. 4/4
  • T9 66+ town halls; daily-frequency social across Facebook, Instagram, X; Mobilize event hub; aggressive Meta ad spend with policy content; Substack-style platform rollouts. Quantifiable substantive communication. 4/4

Top negative drivers

  • T23 No whistleblower protection, IG independence, or retaliation protection positions documented in platform. Genuine gap. 0/4
  • T24 No FOIA reform, classification reform, or proactive open-data positions documented. 0/4
  • T13 General anti-corporate populist framing (oligarchy, billionaire welfare). No specific consumer cost transparency mechanism across utilities, telecom, banking, or trade. 1/4
View all 25 criteria
  • T1 66+ town halls across Maine since campaign launch (Castine #66 on April 22, 2026); 800+ at first Ellsworth event; in-person plus Zoom format; geographic coverage from Caribou to Lewiston to Brunswick. Quantifiable result. 4/4
  • T2 Filed federal personal financial disclosure (Nov 19, 2025) two months late; coverage notes "few details on personal finances." Voluntarily disclosed VA disability income (~$4,800/month) not strictly required. No tax returns released. 2/4
  • T3 Publicly committed to congressional stock-trading ban at town halls; lifetime lobbying ban for former members in published platform. Position adopted into multiple introduced federal bills (PELOSI Act, Ban Congressional Stock Trading Act). 3.13/4
  • T4 FEC-verified $0 corporate PAC, $0 AIPAC; campaign explicitly refuses both; 64% small-dollar of $11.96M total receipts; published Citizens United constitutional amendment commitment; supports public financing of federal elections; AIPAC repudiation in every active Meta ad. 3.75/4
  • T5 FEC-verified fundraising published in regular press releases: $11.96M cumulative through March 31, 2026; 88,000 donors; $25 average donation; 64% small-dollar; quarterly hauls disclosed (e.g., Q1 2026 $4M from 88K donors). Quantifiable transparency. 3.38/4
  • T6 66+ town halls with substantive policy reasoning; multiple platform rollouts (End Billionaire Welfare tax plan April 15, 2026; Defend Democracy Agenda); long-form interviews with The New Yorker, Jon Stewart, Zeteo, Jewish Insider, NOTUS. Quantifiable. 4/4
  • T7 5+ non-aligned media: New Yorker, CNN, Jewish Insider (critical), Boston Globe (op-ed by departing political director), Bangor Daily News, NBC, CBS, Bloomberg, WaPo. Engaged with hostile press on Reddit/tattoo controversies. Counterweight: withdrew from all remaining primary debates April 30, 2026 after Mills exit. 3.13/4
  • T8 Published endorsements span senators (Sanders, Warren, Gallego, Heinrich), House (Khanna), unions (UAW, NNU, IFPTE, IBEW, APWU, MSNA), progressive orgs (Working Families Party, Maine People’s Alliance, Leaders We Deserve, SURJ, AIPAC Tracker), Maine state legislators, and national figures (Robert Reich). 3.75/4
  • T9 66+ town halls; daily-frequency social across Facebook, Instagram, X; Mobilize event hub; aggressive Meta ad spend with policy content; Substack-style platform rollouts. Quantifiable substantive communication. 4/4
  • T10 Plain populist language ("the enemy is the oligarchy"); concrete examples (Lowe’s workers would have gained $30K/yr from buyback tax); accessible household framing. English-only website limits multilingual reach; Reddit-era profanity history affects clarity score. 3.13/4
  • T11 M4A as central healthcare position; ban pharmaceutical advertising; nationwide public drug manufacturing sector; empower government drug-price negotiation. M4A backed by 5+ orgs (NNU, PNHP, Our Revolution, Justice Democrats, DSA). 3.13/4
  • T12 Position to make it illegal for private equity and hedge funds to buy single-family housing implies investor disclosure. No specific zoning, beneficial ownership, or developer disclosure mechanism named. 2.25/4
  • T13 General anti-corporate populist framing (oligarchy, billionaire welfare). No specific consumer cost transparency mechanism across utilities, telecom, banking, or trade. 1/4
  • T14 Defense spending critique: military budget "moves taxpayer dollars into private bank accounts." Iran 2026 war framed as "horrific war of choice." Backed by 5+ orgs (Win Without War, FCNL, Friends Committee, NPP). 3.13/4
  • T15 Platform supports legislation restricting corporate AI surveillance and predatory pricing practices. Mechanism named but specific sectors and standards not detailed. 2.88/4
  • T16 Has acknowledged 2021 Reddit "all cops are bastards" post; no detailed law enforcement accountability mechanism (use-of-force database, body cameras, oversight boards) on platform. 1/4
  • T17 Abolish ICE ("the moderate position"); prosecute ICE agents accused of crimes; path to citizenship; called ICE agents "masked armed thugs kidnapping people." Backed by 5+ orgs (United We Dream, ACLU, NILC, AILA). 3.13/4
  • T18 UMaine medical school proposal addresses access not transparency. No per-pupil disclosure, charter reporting, or outcome dashboard proposals. 1/4
  • T19 Defend Democracy Agenda: Citizens United constitutional amendment; public financing; two-month publicly funded election cycles; end partisan gerrymandering; assert legislative power against executive overreach. Backed by 5+ orgs (American Promise, Common Cause, Public Citizen). 3.75/4
  • T20 Lifetime lobbying ban for former members; congressional term limits; staggered SCOTUS term limits; defense-spending audit; First Amendment protest protection. Comprehensive accountability package. 3.75/4
  • T21 Engaged extensively with critical coverage (CNN KFile, Maine Monitor, Jewish Insider, Boston Globe). Apologized for slur use ("I’m endeavoring to improve"). Late PFD filing and debate withdrawal are counterweights. 3.13/4
  • T22 Default 2/4 baseline for limited fact-checker coverage. Tattoo origin claim ("didn’t know it was Nazi-linked") contested by anonymous source per CNN KFile evidence; Maine Monitor questioned tattoo timeline. No formal PolitiFact false-claim record. 2.25/4
  • T23 No whistleblower protection, IG independence, or retaliation protection positions documented in platform. Genuine gap. 0/4
  • T24 No FOIA reform, classification reform, or proactive open-data positions documented. 0/4
  • T25 Positives: $0 corporate PAC FEC-verified, no AIPAC, harbormaster service, Acadia Action mutual aid. Contradictions cap ps at moderate and zero impact: 2013–2021 Reddit posts (racism, sexism, ACAB, "fight with guns" rhetoric, anti-Hillary), Totenkopf tattoo (CNN KFile evidence of prior knowledge), April 2026 slur use, late PFD filing, October 2025 senior staff turnover (political director, campaign manager, finance director). 2.63/4
E Efficiency
67.3%

Top positive drivers

  • E9 $11.96M FEC-verified; 88K donors corroborated by Press Herald and Common Dreams; 66+ town halls documented by Rising Tide and Maine media; Acadia Action mutual-aid hub corroborated by Bangor Daily News; Sullivan harbormaster role public record. Multiple corroborated achievements. 4/4
  • E6 $11.96M raised; 64% small-dollar; 88,000 donors; $25 average donation; 66+ town halls organized via Mobilize. FEC compliance maintained. Counterweights: October–November 2025 senior staff resignations (political director, campaign manager, finance director) and late PFD. 3.75/4
  • E7 Cross-sector coalition: labor (UAW, NNU, IFPTE, IBEW, APWU, MSNA) + progressive orgs (WFP, MPA, Leaders We Deserve, SURJ) + senators (Sanders, Warren, Gallego, Heinrich) + state legislators + gubernatorial candidates (Bellows, Shah). Multiple documented examples. 3.75/4

Top negative drivers

  • E5 No specific government IT modernization, digital services, cloud migration, or legacy replacement positions documented. 0/4
  • E19 No specific permitting reform, NEPA modernization, infrastructure delivery timeline, or coordination position documented. 0/4
  • E21 No specific government processing time targets, backlog reduction, or staffing proposal documented. 0/4
View all 25 criteria
  • E1 5% wealth tax over $1B (measurable revenue: estimated >$4T); federal property-tax cap at 4% of low/moderate-income family income (measurable); 18-year SCOTUS terms (measurable); two-month election cycles (measurable). Proposals include built-in numeric thresholds. 2.88/4
  • E2 Cites specific corporate examples (Lowe’s buyback to worker-pay calculation); specific dollar revenue projections from wealth tax; Castine/Caribou data points from town hall engagement. 2.88/4
  • E3 Term limits and SCOTUS term limits imply institutional reform but no specific government-effectiveness evaluation mechanism (GAO review, regulatory clearinghouse) named. 1/4
  • E4 Co-founded Acadia Action grassroots social/economic justice org in eastern Hancock County, built into mutual-aid hub. Sullivan Harbormaster (Jan 2024) plus Sullivan Planning Board chair. 3+ documented community service actions. 3.13/4
  • E5 No specific government IT modernization, digital services, cloud migration, or legacy replacement positions documented. 0/4
  • E6 $11.96M raised; 64% small-dollar; 88,000 donors; $25 average donation; 66+ town halls organized via Mobilize. FEC compliance maintained. Counterweights: October–November 2025 senior staff resignations (political director, campaign manager, finance director) and late PFD. 3.75/4
  • E7 Cross-sector coalition: labor (UAW, NNU, IFPTE, IBEW, APWU, MSNA) + progressive orgs (WFP, MPA, Leaders We Deserve, SURJ) + senators (Sanders, Warren, Gallego, Heinrich) + state legislators + gubernatorial candidates (Bellows, Shah). Multiple documented examples. 3.75/4
  • E8 Tax plan names specific dollar thresholds and revenue projections; healthcare plan identifies UMaine medical school as Maine-specific implementation lever. Limited discussion of agency authorities, phasing, or what has been tried before. 2.88/4
  • E9 $11.96M FEC-verified; 88K donors corroborated by Press Herald and Common Dreams; 66+ town halls documented by Rising Tide and Maine media; Acadia Action mutual-aid hub corroborated by Bangor Daily News; Sullivan harbormaster role public record. Multiple corroborated achievements. 4/4
  • E10 Defend Democracy Agenda: Citizens United amendment; congressional term limits; lifetime lobbying ban for former members; staggered SCOTUS term limits; two-month election cycles; public financing; streamlined amendment process. Backed by 5+ orgs and adopted into introduced federal legislation. 3.75/4
  • E11 M4A; break up healthcare monopolies; ban pharmaceutical advertising; nationwide public drug manufacturing sector; reopen shuttered Maine hospitals; new UMaine medical school; strict safe-staffing legislation. M4A backed by 5+ orgs. 3.75/4
  • E12 Ban private equity and hedge funds from buying single-family housing addresses demand-side pressure on supply. No specific supply-side mechanism (zoning reform, public housing, LIHTC reform, Housing First). 2.25/4
  • E13 Supports urgent action on climate change, climate mitigation, and renewable energy; lower energy costs framed as climate co-benefit. No specific grid modernization, transmission, storage, or efficiency standards mechanism named. 2.25/4
  • E14 Abolish ICE; reallocate enforcement; path to citizenship; end mass deportation. Frames immigration enforcement as misdirected resources. Backed by 5+ orgs. 3.13/4
  • E15 New medical school at University of Maine as named institutional intervention. No broader K-12 effectiveness, teacher investment, or evidence-based curriculum mechanism named. 2.88/4
  • E16 Personal background as competitive pistol shooter and certified firearms instructor; Reddit "all cops bastards" post acknowledged. No specific evidence-based public safety mechanism (violence intervention, mental health response, diversion programs) on platform. 1/4
  • E17 PRO Act with significant penalties for illegal union-busting; federal minimum-wage increase. PRO Act backed by 5+ orgs (AFL-CIO, SEIU, UAW, AFSCME). 3.13/4
  • E18 Defense-budget critique as mechanism for moving taxpayer dollars into private bank accounts; Iran 2026 war framed as fiscal as well as moral failure. Backed by 5+ orgs. 3.13/4
  • E19 No specific permitting reform, NEPA modernization, infrastructure delivery timeline, or coordination position documented. 0/4
  • E20 Cut military aid to Israel; opposes Iran 2026 war funding; against military adventurism; defense spending critique as inefficient resource transfer. Backed by 5+ peace orgs (Win Without War, FCNL, Peace Action, NPP). 3.75/4
  • E21 No specific government processing time targets, backlog reduction, or staffing proposal documented. 0/4
  • E22 5% wealth tax over $1B (estimated >$4T revenue); capital gains taxed at wage rates; quadrupled stock-buyback tax; corporate tax increases; new limits on inherited wealth transfers; federal property-tax fairness program. Multiple specific revenue mechanisms with named dollar thresholds. 3.75/4
  • E23 Defense-spending critique implies acting on prior audit findings of DoD waste. No specific GAO/IG report citation or quantified audit-derived savings. 2.25/4
  • E24 M4A to replace for-profit insurance; abolish ICE rather than reform; SCOTUS term limits to replace lifetime appointments; nationwide public drug manufacturing to replace private pharma. Backed by 5+ orgs. 3.13/4
  • E25 Defense-spending audit; ICE oversight via prosecution of agents accused of crimes. Specific agencies named but no general performance-review framework for federal agencies. 2.25/4
A Affordability
76.2%

Top positive drivers

  • A1 66+ town halls across Maine discussing local cost pressures (housing, healthcare, IVF, energy, food); references Caribou, Lewiston, Brunswick, Castine, Augusta, Farmington, Ogunquit. Personally cited US IVF cost as reason for going to Norway. Quantifiable engagement. 4/4
  • A9 "Billionaires vs working class" framing throughout; Economic Bill of Rights framework (wages, medical care, housing, education); consistent household and worker framing across platform. 3.75/4
  • A10 Affordability is the central campaign theme. Tax plan, healthcare plan, housing plan, Economic Bill of Rights, PRO Act, minimum-wage increase, and 66+ town halls focused heavily on cost pressures. 3.75/4

Top negative drivers

  • A17 No specific food, grocery, SNAP, supply-chain, meat-processing, or school-meals position documented. 0/4
  • A19 No specific transit investment, gas relief, EV incentive, fare reform, or commuter benefit position documented. 0/4
  • A13 Economic Bill of Rights includes education as one of four pillars (wages, medical care, housing, education); UMaine medical school proposal. No specific commitment on free college, student-debt cancellation, Pell Grant, or universal pre-K. 1/4
View all 25 criteria
  • A1 66+ town halls across Maine discussing local cost pressures (housing, healthcare, IVF, energy, food); references Caribou, Lewiston, Brunswick, Castine, Augusta, Farmington, Ogunquit. Personally cited US IVF cost as reason for going to Norway. Quantifiable engagement. 4/4
  • A2 Lowe’s buyback example translated to per-worker $30K; $11.96M with $25 average donation as data point; specific tax revenue projections; quantified critique of defense spending. Some district-specific data through town halls. 3.13/4
  • A3 Acadia Action grassroots social/economic justice hub built into mutual aid in eastern Hancock County. Documented prior-role community service action. 3.13/4
  • A4 Break up healthcare monopolies named explicitly; broader anti-monopoly populist framing. Specific industries beyond healthcare not named with concentration data. 2.25/4
  • A5 Property-tax cap at 4% of family income; Lowe’s worker $30K example; M4A household savings framing; IVF cost story. Household-level framing present but not consistently quantified. 2.88/4
  • A6 Personally responded to US IVF cost spike by announcing IVF in Norway (Jan 2026); subsequent miscarriage announcement (April 2026). Personal cost response amplified through campaign messaging. 2.88/4
  • A7 Defense spending redirected to domestic priorities; billionaire wealth taxed for working-class programs; corporate tax raised. Source and destination quantified. Backed by 5+ peace and tax-justice orgs. 3.13/4
  • A8 Lowe’s stock buyback example with named worker-pay calculation; pharmaceutical advertising ban; healthcare monopoly breakup. Specific corporate accountability mechanisms. 3.13/4
  • A9 "Billionaires vs working class" framing throughout; Economic Bill of Rights framework (wages, medical care, housing, education); consistent household and worker framing across platform. 3.75/4
  • A10 Affordability is the central campaign theme. Tax plan, healthcare plan, housing plan, Economic Bill of Rights, PRO Act, minimum-wage increase, and 66+ town halls focused heavily on cost pressures. 3.75/4
  • A11 M4A; opposes any cuts to Medicare or Medicaid; free mental health care; ban pharmaceutical advertising; nationwide public drug manufacturing; reopen shuttered Maine hospitals; new UMaine medical school; strict safe-staffing legislation. M4A backed by 5+ orgs. 3.75/4
  • A12 Federal legislation banning private equity and hedge funds from buying single-family housing; named mechanism with national legislative ambition. No specific subsidy, LIHTC, or down-payment-assistance proposal. 2.88/4
  • A13 Economic Bill of Rights includes education as one of four pillars (wages, medical care, housing, education); UMaine medical school proposal. No specific commitment on free college, student-debt cancellation, Pell Grant, or universal pre-K. 1/4
  • A14 5% wealth tax over $1B; capital gains taxed at wage rates; quadrupled stock-buyback tax; new limits on inherited wealth; corporate tax increases; federal property-tax fairness program capping property tax at 4% of low/moderate-income family income. Multiple specific provisions backed by tax-justice orgs. 3.75/4
  • A15 Ban pharmaceutical advertising; break up healthcare monopolies; restrict corporate AI surveillance and predatory pricing. Backed by 5+ orgs. 3.13/4
  • A16 Federal minimum-wage increase ("matter of basic economic self-preservation"); PRO Act with significant penalties for illegal union-busting. Specific minimum-wage figure not stated but PRO Act named explicitly. Backed by 5+ labor orgs. 3.13/4
  • A17 No specific food, grocery, SNAP, supply-chain, meat-processing, or school-meals position documented. 0/4
  • A18 Lower energy costs framed as renewable-energy co-benefit. No specific LIHEAP, weatherization, or rate reform mechanism named. 2.25/4
  • A19 No specific transit investment, gas relief, EV incentive, fare reform, or commuter benefit position documented. 0/4
  • A20 Economic Bill of Rights connects wages, medical care, housing, and education into a coherent affordability strategy. Tax-the-billionaires-to-fund-programs throughline across the platform. 3.75/4
  • A21 Acadia Action mutual aid matches working-class advocacy; FEC-verified $0 corporate PAC and $0 AIPAC matches anti-corruption claims; Sullivan harbormaster service matches local-engagement framing; oyster business matches small-business framing. Reddit/tattoo controversies are platform-action contradictions on anti-racism rhetoric (counted under T25, not A21). 3.13/4
  • A22 Explicitly opposes any cuts to Medicare or Medicaid; pledges to "fight to protect and expand the Social Security that Mainers have earned"; M4A as expansion vehicle. 3.13/4
  • A23 Universal programs (M4A, Economic Bill of Rights); abolish ICE for immigrant families; pharmaceutical price relief for elderly; PRO Act for working families. Universal design backed by 5+ orgs. 3.75/4
  • A24 Universal M4A; Economic Bill of Rights covering workers, families, students; PRO Act; SS expansion; tax cuts for low/moderate-income via property-tax cap. Broad demographic reach. 3.75/4
  • A25 Endorsed by labor (UAW, NNU, IFPTE, IBEW, APWU, MSNA) + healthcare (NNU, MSNA) + progressive economic justice (WFP, MPA, Leaders We Deserve, SURJ) + senators (Sanders, Warren, Gallego). Affordability orgs across multiple sectors rate aligned. 3.75/4

Modifiers applied to this candidate

  • constituent service excellence — Documented constituent service excellence — +1 on T1, E1, and structural criteria.

Scored from publicly available information. Research in progress.

Published Platform

  • Healthcare — Medicare for All; oppose any cuts to Medicare/Medicaid; nationwide public drug manufacturing; ban pharmaceutical advertising; reopen shuttered Maine hospitals; new UMaine medical school; strict safe-staffing legislation.
  • Tax & Wealth — 5% wealth tax over $1B (>$4T projected); capital gains taxed at wage rates; quadrupled stock-buyback tax; corporate tax increases; federal property-tax cap at 4% of low/moderate-income family income.
  • Housing — Federal legislation banning private equity and hedge funds from buying single-family housing.
  • Wages & Labor — PRO Act with significant penalties for illegal union-busting; federal minimum-wage increase; Economic Bill of Rights.
  • Democracy — Citizens United constitutional amendment; lifetime lobbying ban for former members; congressional term limits; staggered SCOTUS term limits; two-month publicly funded election cycles; end partisan gerrymandering.
  • Immigration — Abolish ICE; prosecute ICE agents accused of crimes; path to citizenship; end mass deportation.
  • Foreign Policy — Calls Gaza war a genocide; cut military aid to Israel; against Iran 2026 war funding; continued Ukraine support; against military adventurism.
  • Campaign Finance — $0 corporate PAC, $0 AIPAC (FEC-verified); 64% small-dollar of $11.96M; 88K donors; $25 average donation.

Non-Incumbent · Public Record

Scored on publicly available information only — platform statements, prior office, news coverage. Same criteria as the Questionnaire pathway, without direct candidate input.

Scoring Summary

Axis Base Pledge Bonus Final
Transparency 69.6% +0.5 70.1%
Efficiency 67.3% — 67.3%
Affordability 76.2% — 76.2%
Overall TEA Average of the three axes 71%

Modifiers Applied

  • constituent service excellence — Documented constituent service excellence — +1 on T1, E1, and structural criteria.

Read the full methodology →

Financial Breakdown

Financial detail — individual giving, PAC contributions, transfers, and personal finances — will appear here when FEC data ingestion ships. This tab is reserved so the layout stays consistent when the feature launches.

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