Praising Platner's 'Fighting Spirit,' Warren Is Latest Senator to Endorse Maine Senate Candidate

US Senate candidate Graham Platner said Thursday that he was looking forward to joining Sen. Elizabeth Warren in the fight to take on "Wall Street and the billionaires waging a class war against the rest of us" after the progressive lawmaker announced her endorsement of the combat veteran who has centered the struggles of working families across Maine in his campaign.

Warren (D-Mass.) became the fourth sitting senator to throw her support behind Platner, following Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), and Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.).

The "class war" Platner spoke about figured heavily into Warren's statement announcing her endorsement, which she gave in a video posted on social media.

"He understands what's happening to working people when there's not someone in Washington fighting like hell for your family," said Warren. "We've already seen it. Hospitals are closing down. Gas prices are up. [President Donald] Trump's illegal tariffs have made everything more expensive. And now we're at war with Iran."

"Oh—and God forbid, you want to buy a home," she said, referencing fast-rising median home prices, which have shot up both nationally and in Maine in recent years.

Like Warren, Platner has pledged to take on "the billionaire economy" by imposing a billionaire minimum tax, and passing a constitutional amendment to stop the ultrarich from "buying elections."

Warren also emphasized that as a combat veteran who was deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan, Platner "knows the consequences of Donald Trump sending our service members to fight endless wars in the Middle East."

Platner faces Gov. Janet Mills in the Democratic Senate primary; both are hoping to challenge Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine). Numerous polls have shown Platner beating Mills in the primary and Collins by several points in the general election, while Mills has been shown losing to the longtime senator or beating her by a smaller margin than Platner.

Ahead of Warren's endorsement, Mills launched her first attack ad against Platner, showing several women reading old posts the Senate candidate wrote on Reddit about sexual assault survivors several years ago. Platner addressed the posts several months ago, saying they do not reflect his views today. Since the controversy, which first came to light just after Mills entered the race at the urging of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Platner has continued to lead the governor in polls and has addressed overflow crowds at rallies across the state.

Platner also raised $7.8 million last year compared to $2.6 million raised by Mills and $4.6 million raised by Collins.

The enthusiasm for Platner in Maine did not go unnoticed by Warren.

"Graham Platner has the grit to go against the grain and to fight for what is right," said the senator on Thursday. "And the people in Maine are fired up and excited for change... That's the energy, that's the fighting spirit that the Democratic Party needs now more than ever. Graham Platner can help us win back the Senate, and he can help us build a country that doesn't just work for a tiny sliver at the top, but a nation that works for working families."

Platner called the endorsement "an honor."

"Sen. Warren has spent her career fighting those who use power and wealth to take advantage of working families," said Platner. "She's been an inspiration, and I look forward to working by her side in the Senate to take on Wall Street, monopolies, and the corruption in Washington."