It took less than 24 hours for Hancock County oyster farmer Graham Platner to go from political unknown to national progressive darling.

Since Platner announced Tuesday that he would challenge five-term incumbent Susan Collins for her U.S. Senate seat, his campaign has generated significant attention from national media and online influencers. Some conservatives have already branded him “Maine’s Mamdani,” a reference to the New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, who surprised many by winning a Democratic primary two months ago.

“This is far beyond anything I could have imagined,” Platner said in an interview Thursday. “So many people have been reacting positively to a message of, frankly, things I’ve been saying to my wife and friends for years.”

Platner, 40, is among a half

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