Democratic Concerns Grow Ahead of Maine Senate Primary

Democratic anxiety intensified on Friday concerning the personal history of Graham Platner, the leading Senate candidate for the Democratic primary in Maine. Party politicians, officials, and strategists grappled with new reports of his past conduct.

The New York Times highlighted that several women who dated Mr. Platner described unsettling behavior. One woman claimed he had grabbed or yanked her and noted he had a tattoo on his chest resembling a Nazi symbol while they were dating. However, several other women mentioned feeling safe with him. These revelations followed previous issues related to his tattoo, inappropriate messages to women outside his marriage, and offensive online remarks.

This closer examination of Mr. Platner, a progressive oyster farmer and new face in politics, increased concerns within the Democratic Party about potential future reports. These might impact the must-win contest against Republican Senator Susan Collins.

Some Democratic senators expressed their worries about the new information. Maggie Hassan from New Hampshire indicated to Punchbowl News that the reports were “serious and deserve scrutiny.” Others avoided direct commentary on Mr. Platner or tried to minimize the concerns.

Mr. Platner, expected to win the primary on Tuesday, confirmed Thursday night that he would remain in the race. He acknowledged “not exactly acting with the best behavior” following his military service but denied any intent to harm his ex-girlfriend. He claimed ignorance until recently about the Nazi image resemblance of his past tattoo, which he has since covered.