New allegations against Graham Platner unnerve Democrats in key Maine Senate race

Democrats are growing increasingly concerned about their chances of flipping a key Senate seat in Maine after new allegations surfaced against Democratic candidate Graham Platner. Unease about Platner’s candidacy was already circulating among Democrats, but they intensified after a new report from The New York Times on Thursday.

The Times says it spoke with several former girlfriends who described Platner as volatile and “toxic” during past relationships, allegations Platner disputes.

The controversy is landing just days before Maine’s Democratic primary, which Platner is expected to win before taking on GOP Sen. Susan Collins in November. 

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Democrats are concerned

Some lawmakers, like Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., continue to show their support for Platner, with the congressman set to campaign with him Friday in Bar Harbor.

“The behavior described in the New York Times story was wrong and toxic,” Khanna said in a statement. “Graham has acknowledged that and sought redemption. The people of Maine deserve a senator who is going to stand up to the billionaire class, against genocide, and for the working class.”

However, other Democrats are now skeptical. 

Robert Zimmerman, a New York-based Democratic National Committee member, told Politico, “It’s very clear that Platner has not been able to credibly justify his conduct and Democrats who defend him sound like Republicans defending Donald Trump after the Access Hollywood tape.”

“Democrats in Maine and throughout the country have got to decide what is their priority: Justifying Graham Platner’s behavior or winning the Democratic seat in Maine,” Zimmerman added. 

One Democratic Senate aide, who spoke to Politico anonymously, said there is growing concern about Platner’s success in the race. 

“There is dramatically higher concern about losing Maine now across the caucus than there was before the stories broke,” the aide said. “Everyone realizes that without Maine the path to taking back the Senate is impossible.”

“A lot of his enthusiastic supporters are remaining true,” David Farmer, a veteran Maine Democratic strategist, told NBC News. “But I do think there is a sense of — a certain sense of foreboding about what might happen.”

New allegations

In an exclusive story in interviews with The Times, several women said Platner was a fun and caring partner, and they felt safe with him. Three others, however, told a different story. 

They described Platner as volatile and “toxic,” saying the relationships were emotionally difficult, and at times, unsettling. The Times says the women reported Platner could be demeaning to women, and in one case, even physically threatening. They even alleged he drank heavily and was regularly unfaithful. 

But one of those women has since spoken out against The Times for the article, saying she was “misled” and accusing the publication of “betraying” her.

Platner, who is a combat veteran, has regularly discussed his struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and drinking. However, he’s also emphasized that his past behavior does not reflect who he is today. 

In a statement to The Times, Platner said he was “far from the perfect boyfriend,” during a “very dark period of my life.”

“I take responsibility for all of that, and wish I had been better,” he told The Times. “Any characterization beyond that is false, and I believe, politically motivated. I’m not proud of who I was then, but I am proud of the work I’ve done since, and the movement we are building in Maine.”

Platner made similar comments in an interview on MS NOW Thursday, saying some of the allegations in The Times article “are simply not true.” 

“Anything alleging physicality, anything alleging that I knew what my tattoo was, these are the statements of someone who’s politically motivated,” he said.

A campaign plagued with controversy

The recent allegations are not the first challenge for Platner’s campaign. Earlier this week, Platner was accused of sending sexually explicit messages to women who were not his wife, and his campaign reportedly knew about it as early as last summer. 

Platner has since accused a former campaign aide of making the claims, saying they’re false and criticizing The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal for publishing the reports. 

In a statement on Sunday, however, he noted that he and his wife “went through something hard — because of me.”

“We did the work, and I’m grateful for her every hour of every day,” Platner said. 

Even before the latest Times report, some Democrats had begun raising concerns about Platner’s candidacy. Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., told ABC’s “This Week,” “I have concerns. That guy has questions to answer. And that’s what campaigns are for.”

In addition to the allegations about Platner’s reportedly messy personal life, he also faced backlash over a Nazi-linked tattoo on his chest. He has repeatedly stated he didn’t know of the connection when he got the tattoo, and has since had it covered. 

However, Lyndsey Fitfield, a Virginia conservative who dated Platner from 2013 to 2015, told The Times he knew what the tattoo meant when he got it. 

A crucial race

The race in Maine is crucial for Democrats, who see it as one of the clearest opportunities to flip a Republican-held Senate seat. Platner, however, hasn’t always been the candidate Democrats were widely supporting. 

Democrats had touted Maine Gov. Janet Mills as their leading candidate to take on the incumbent, Collins, who is seen as vulnerable as she seeks a sixth term in a Democratic-leaning state.

She was backed by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. However, she dropped out at the end of April due to a lack of financial support.

At the time, Platner was leading her in the polls by double digits, and he’d garnered support from Sens. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass. 

Two other candidates are seeking the Democratic nomination in the June 9 primary, but polls have shown they have little support.

After Mills exited the race, Platner turned his attention to Collins, while Republican groups increasingly focused their messaging on him. 

Republican-aligned groups are now increasing their investment in the race. Politico reports that One Nation has pledged an additional $3 million to support Collins. They even released a new ad Thursday, targeting her veteran supporters. 

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