WASHINGTON — Lefty Maine Senate hopeful Graham Platner trekked right down to the Huge Apple final month for a fundraiser with Brooklyn-based jewellery designer Alexis Bittar, who crafted luxurious merchandise for Woman Gaga, Michelle Obama, Dua Lipa, and different liberal celebs.
The oyster farmer and self-styled ardent foe of the billionaire class attended the April 23 fundraiser at Bittar’s home to rub elbows with rich filmmakers, actors, and different elite New Yorkers final month.
Platner’s Huge Apple go to got here simply earlier than his prime Democratic main rival, Maine Gov. Janet Mills (D) dropped out of the race, paving the way in which for an anticipated normal election showdown with incumbent Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine).
“Chillin with this man who hopefully would be the subsequent Senator of Maine..a State [I] love, dearly,” Bittar posted on Instagram with a photograph of a smiling Platner.
Bittar claims to have spent three months of the yr in Maine since he was a baby and predicted that Platner will “go far” within the new progressive motion.
The luxurious model guru hasn’t been shy about weaving political or cultural messaging into his advertising methods, such because the “Bittarverse” net collection that’s touched on trangenderism, racism, elitism, and different hot-button points.
Final yr, Bittar helped launch the “Reclaim the Flag” documentary throughout which he lamented that the Stars and Stripes became a “image of aggression.”
“It’s develop into such a logo of aggression, the American flag, like ‘we’re coming for you’ throughout Trump’s period. How tragic is that this, like that is the place we’re at that the final word image of america, is now used as a weapon to bifurcate?” Bittar mentioned, per Forbes.
“…But there isn’t any different nation I’d quite increase my youngsters in,” he added. “We have to battle.”
The jewellery designer, who’s been described as having a “cult” following amongst celebs, recalled telling Platner that it’s “loopy” progressives are regarded as “far left.”
Monetary disclosures point out he’s maxed out donations to Platner’s marketing campaign. Bittar additionally beforehand donated to Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), former President Barack Obama, and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
“I’ve been following Graham’s profession and struck by his marketing campaign insurance policies, he’s a Progressive Democrat, no company funding, professional union within the age of technocrats and enormous companies who’re taking extra management, common medical care,” he posted on Instagram.
Final yr, Bittar led a “high-end fundraiser” for Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
Platner’s overcome Mills earlier than the June 9 main election in Maine rocked the Democratic institution. Maine is extensively seen because the Democrats’ prime Senate pickup alternative within the 2026 midterms.
The previous Marine’s historical past of inflammatory Reddit posts, slash-and-dash fashion of politics, and controversy over a tattoo he claimed to have gotten whereas drunk in Croatia in 2007 depicting a Totenkopf or “demise’s head” that was utilized by the barbaric Nazi SS secret police pressure, has given the get together’s bosses pause.
Platner has since inked over that tattoo with what he’s known as a “Celtic knot with some imagery round canines” and claimed it was an trustworthy mistake — that he didn’t notice he had a Nazi-linked tattoo on him.
