In a video posted to X in April, Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner thanked his small-dollar donors for outraising his opponents in the first quarter of 2026.
“These are people who are going to miss the money they sent to us,” said Platner. “When you spend your time sinking it into just trying to make ends meet, every dollar counts.”
Some of Platner’s donors will probably survive the sacrifice. Campaign filings show that at least five billionaires were among the donors who gave relatively modest sums to the populist Marine Corps veteran who wants to “ban billionaires buying elections.”
Platner doesn’t have a dedicated super PAC supporting his candidacy, so his fundraising has relied on direct donations to his campaign committee–which are capped at $7,000 per race. Billionaire money is still billionaire money, even when the FEC makes it travel coach.
The big-money donors in Platner’s camp are longtime Democratic heavyweights from around the country. Most only gave after his main Democratic challenger, Gov. Janet Mills, exited the race on April 30.
While the latest federal filings show that Platner’s campaign committee has outraised incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins’s committee by over $1 million since it began fundraising last year, Collins benefits from the support of a dedicated super PAC, Pine Tree Results—backed by multi-million dollar donations from billionaires Stephen Schwarzman and Ken Griffin.
“While Susan Collins’ campaign is backed by billionaire donors, our campaign is powered by small-dollar donors from nearly every zip code in Maine, with an average donation of $26,” a Platner campaign spokesperson told Forbes.
Platner cruised to the Democratic nomination after Mills’ exit. His candidacy has not been without controversy, with several outlets reporting that he exchanged sexually explicit messages with other women in the early years of his marriage. He also got a skull and crossbones tattoo that resembles the Nazi Totenkopf emblem—though he claims to have not known its association at the time.
More billionaire money is likely to flow into Platner’s coffers as the November general election approaches. Here are the billionaires currently backing his campaign.
Donations to Platner: $7,000
Net Worth: $7.5 billion
Source of Wealth: Hedge funds
The New York-based hedge fund tycoon who made windfall profits shorting the British pound in 1992 has long thrown his financial weight behind Democrats, giving hundreds of millions to left-leaning groups. Soros also committed $18 billion to his philanthropy organization Open Society Foundations in 2017. He donated the maximum of $7,000 to Platner. His son and chair of Open Society Foundations, Alexander Soros, also donated $7,000 to the Platner campaign.
Donations to Platner: About $7,000
Net Worth: $2.8 billion
Source of Wealth: Hotels, investments
Jennifer Pritzker, retired Army lieutenant colonel and founder of Tawani Enterprises, hails from the Chicago-based Pritzker dynasty that comprises 13 billionaires—including Democratic Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker. After backing President Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars, Pritzker broke with him in 2017 because of the president’s transgender military ban (Pritzker is transgender). She has also made contributions to VoteVets, a hybrid PAC supporting Democratic military veterans, which has backed Platner. Filings show she made two $3,500 donations to Platner on May 28.
Donations to Platner: $7,000
Net Worth: $22.7 billion
Source of Wealth: Walmart
Walton inherited her billions after her husband, Walmart heir John Walton, died in a plane crash in 2005. She has emerged as a strong supporter of Democratic Party causes, becoming one of the biggest and most consistent backers of the Never-Trump Lincoln Project. She donated to Platner’s campaign on March 23, before Gov. Janet Mills dropped out of the race.
Donations to Platner: $7,000
Net Worth: $3.7 billion
Source of Wealth: Medical equipment
Stryker is heir to the medical equipment giant Stryker Corp., which was founded by her grandfather. In addition to her contributions to Democratic causes, she has given more than $225 million to charity, largely through her Bohemian Foundation, which supports music, global, community and civic programs.
Donations to Platner: $5,000
Net Worth: $5.1 billion
Source of Wealth: Medical equipment
Brother of Pat, Jon Stryker has also given millions to Democratic-aligned groups. He is the founder of Arcus Foundation, a philanthropic organization that supports great ape conservation and LGBTQ rights. In all, he has given more than $700 million to philanthropic causes.
Donations to Platner: $1,000
Net Worth: $3.2 billion
Source of Wealth: Hedge funds
Laufer is married to retired hedge fund manager Henry Laufer, who was chief scientist at quantitative trading titan Renaissance Technologies. The Laufers were some of the biggest financial backers of Kamala Harris’s presidential bid in 2024.
Read the full article here
