this post was submitted on 12 Jun 2026
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“While Susan Collins’ campaign is backed by billionaire donors, our campaign is built on a movement funded by the people, with an average donation of $26,” said Graham Platner’s campaign manager.

A new analysis of campaign finance data shows that nearly 100 billionaires and their spouses have contributed to Republican Sen. Susan Collins’ reelection bid so far, funneling nearly $10 million to the incumbent’s campaign committee and PACs supporting her effort to fend off progressive challenger Graham Platner.

The Maine Monitor on Thursday published a list of billionaires who have donated to Collins and Platner, who has called his Republican opponent a “corrupt” protector and beneficiary of an oligarchic political system.

The outlet noted that Collins’ billionaire donation total “stands in stark contrast with the fundraising of her opponent... whose campaign has mostly attracted smaller amounts of funds but from many more people.”

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[–] ceenote@lemmy.world 121 points 3 months ago (1 children)

To them, losing the "progressives can't win purple states" narrative would be a catastrophe.

[–] Blibly@lemmy.world 79 points 3 months ago (8 children)

Not only can progressives win in purple states, I bet they can win in these supposedly "red" states that have been abandoned by the Dems in recent years. Progressive takeover of the Democratic Party needs to happen ASAP.

[–] ceenote@lemmy.world 26 points 3 months ago

I agree. I don't think the actual silent majority thinks "that guy's too far right" or "that lady's too far left," they ask "which one's gonna help with my problems?"

[–] mushroommunk@lemmy.today 10 points 3 months ago

Just look at all the special elections earlier in the year that flipped seats. They're definitely scared we're waking up

[–] QueenHawlSera@sh.itjust.works 7 points 3 months ago (5 children)

We need a Left version of the Tea Party

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[–] tabarnaski@sh.itjust.works 66 points 3 months ago (1 children)

In 1936, Roosevelt was elected despite millionaires pouring money into Hoover's campaign.

Voting is important.

https://www.americanheritage.com/1936-fifty-years-ago-2

[–] Eldritch@piefed.world 26 points 3 months ago (1 children)

If it wasn't, they wouldn't make it so hard to vote or try to stop you. It unfortunately isn't very effective when people are complacent. But when people are pissed, even stacked decks and rigging won't hold ultimately.

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[–] MushuChupacabra@piefed.world 48 points 3 months ago (1 children)

The algorithm is simple. Watch who the billionaires back, then vote for the other option.

[–] Not_mikey@lemmy.dbzer0.com 6 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (64 children)

Doesn't always work, Kamala had more billionaires backing her than trump .

Unless you want to advocate voting for Stein, which is fine, you'll just have to deal with a large chunk of people here caling you a Russian bot.

[–] wheezy@lemmy.ml 26 points 3 months ago (5 children)

A better rule of thumb is "who are the Zionist and Billionaires funding". Personally, I really dislike Platner. But when I see literally every Zionist group funding attack campaigns it really doesn't matter anymore. It's a single election. If I was in Maine, I'd go vote against what the Zionist clearly want.

Does the chud betray us and turn into a Fetterman? Maybe. Maybe he has a stroke too. But I want Israel to stop getting bombs. I don't have to like Platner. But I am excited that a candidate that says he wants to stop weapons shipments to Israel is actually popular in a purple state like main. That is amazing. And no amount of virtue signaling will take that away from me.

I've been fighting Zionism since I was in college in 2015. Platner winning would be good for the entire movement of the left. Even if he doesn't follow through. People don't want "it's complicated centrist". You don't have to compromise. You can win elections while being against the genocidal apartheid state. That is absolutely a win.

[–] architect@thelemmy.club 5 points 3 months ago

Yea this is the kind of thing people should be saying. Instead of attacking anyone with an opinion of a previous Nazi tattoo. I’m not in Maine, i don’t trust this guy. But Fuck Susan Collins.

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[–] Viking_Hippie@lemmy.dbzer0.com 38 points 3 months ago (3 children)
[–] BarneyPiccolo@lemmy.today 8 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

When that health care CEO was executed, his company, and all the other health care companies temporarily eased up on their denials, and thousands of people got treatment who were previously denied. I've read of people who were going to die, until they suddenly got approved following the murder.

Of course, they've gone back to business as usual, but that only demonstrates that we have to execute another CEO every few months. Maybe be strategic about it, and spread it around in different industries until they get their shit together.

First handle a few health care guys until they clean it up, and stay there. Then maybe oil companies CEOs are next. Maybe pharmaceutical companies.

Eventually, maybe we execute enough, that the business world decides to adopt a more moral stance towards money, one where they can still get rich, without being such shitheads that they eventually get set on fire in front of their families.

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[–] neidu3@sh.itjust.works 29 points 3 months ago (1 children)

"But we need someone electable, someone both sides like!"

Yeah no, the "both sides" these people are referring to is the defensive and offensive wing of the same group.

[–] TropicalDingdong@lemmy.world 9 points 3 months ago (4 children)

You cant win elections appealing to "both sides".

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[–] homesweethomeMrL@lemmy.world 25 points 3 months ago

Jesus Christ, Maine.

[–] robocall@lemmy.world 22 points 3 months ago

Let's interview everyone that has a grudge with Susan Collins.

No? We can only interview every ex girlfriend, guy that's willing to say something negative, and Republican friend of a friend that knows the grassroots guy. Huh, I wonder why.

[–] godsammitdam@lemmy.zip 19 points 3 months ago (1 children)

They are absolutely terrified of Platner taxing them aren't they?

I think that tells us all we need to know.

I wonder if they're feeling what we felt with Trump where no matter how many truths we told about his scandals he kept going. The difference this time is that it's democrats and republicans lying and trying to manufacture scandals, but it's not slowing him down.

Hell yeah Maine, tax those terrorists!

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[–] BigMacHole@thelemmy.club 16 points 3 months ago (1 children)

BUT these Billionaires CARE about Us! THATS why they're FORCING us to Invest ALL OUR RETIREMENT into Their Companies so they can be Trillionaires!

[–] HootinNHollerin@lemmy.dbzer0.com 16 points 3 months ago

I listened to her talk. She’s geriatric AF.

Educated, united, armed populace over billionaires

[–] NM_Gringo@lemmy.world 15 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Hey, now. Susan Collins is very concerned about all the billionaire money in politics. Very concerned. Almost very, very concerned. Right on the edge.

[–] BarneyPiccolo@lemmy.today 11 points 3 months ago (1 children)

She's not happy about it, but in the end, after wrestling with her conscience, she will take their money, but she's not happy about it, and she'll do whatever they tell her to do, but she's not happy about it.

[–] benjirenji@slrpnk.net 6 points 3 months ago (1 children)

She must be a very unhappy woman.

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[–] quick_snail@feddit.nl 14 points 3 months ago

Planter was the only candidate whose website had the word "genocide" so he got my vote

[–] garbagehead@lemmy.ca 13 points 3 months ago (1 children)

She's been strongly pro-war all along and that is a huge money making venture.

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[–] DarrinBrunner@lemmy.world 11 points 3 months ago (3 children)

We need term limits in Congress.

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[–] wonderingwanderer@sopuli.xyz 11 points 3 months ago (2 children)

Yet tankies will still continue to focus their vitriol on Platner...

[–] MajorasTerribleFate@lemmy.zip 15 points 3 months ago (1 children)

He's problematic, maybe? Probably? What he isn't is Susan "he's learned his lesson" Collins.

[–] wonderingwanderer@sopuli.xyz 17 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (15 children)

Waiting for a perfect candidate with a squeaky clean record is an exercise in futility.

The only way someone gets old enough to run for political office while having enough knowledge and experience to actually be capable of doing the job, without having ever made any mistakes that one's opponents can dig up for their mudslinging campaigns, is to take no risks, be non-controversial, a chameleon, totally performative and insincere. That's how you end up with these robotic-sounding DNC stars.

What's important is whether someone learned from their mistakes and has shown themselves capable of improving. There's this weird essentialist idea floating around in people's heads that once someone has made a mistake, that mistake is fundamentally who they are as a person and they should be judged for it for the rest of their lives. And honestly, if that mentality takes root and grows, it could lead to a very dystopian world. It's just one more part to add to the total surveillance state we're already sliding towards.

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[–] solarvector@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 3 months ago

Everything Harris or Biden related: "genocide is genocide!" "There's no such thing as a little genocide!"

Everything Platner: "what's genocide? He has a tattoo!"

All others in Democratic party (and Bernie somehow): "controlled opposition!"

[–] DarkFuture@lemmy.world 10 points 3 months ago

A traitor to the United States of America.

[–] ILikeBoobies@lemmy.ca 9 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (1 children)
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[–] quick_snail@feddit.nl 8 points 3 months ago (2 children)

billionaires who made their money in alternative investments, including hedge funds and private equity."

Wut. Since when are hedge funds alternative investments?

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[–] demizerone@lemmy.world 5 points 3 months ago

Let them waste their money. Mainers are not stupid. Can't be said for my home state of CA unfortunately...

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