Democrats are sharply divided after a report Thursday detailed allegations by multiple former girlfriends of Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner, who denied parts of the account and said he would not withdraw from the race.
One former partner, Lyndsey Fifield, recounted an episode she said occurred while they dated in which Platner “twisted her arm behind her back, shoved her into a bedroom and held the door closed from the other side so she couldn’t get out, telling her to remain there until she was ‘calm.’” Fifield also said Platner referred to his tattoo as "my Totenkopf" and knew its Nazi connection.
Platner denied some of the allegations and called them politically motivated in a campaign statement, saying, "Throughout this campaign, I’ve been open about what was a very dark period of my life where I struggled with undiagnosed PTSD, too often self medicated with alcohol, and was a far from perfect boyfriend. I take responsibility for all of that, and wish I had been better. 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."
On the cable program MS NOW, Platner told host Chris Hayes that Fifield’s account of being pushed into a room is false and again suggested the accusations were politically motivated, saying, "There are things in this that I absolutely will take responsibility for... But those serious allegations are just not true." He declined to be interviewed for the story about his past relationships.
In addition to the Times allegations, Platner has confronted revelations that he exchanged sexually explicit text messages with several women after he was married. His wife, Amy Gertner, has acknowledged publicly that they have had marital difficulties and sought counseling, and Gertner told the campaign last year that she had discovered messages on his phone. A former campaign staffer said the campaign assessed the texts as a potential vulnerability, and Platner posted a video featuring Gertner in which she described the coverage as "gossip" and said "being married is hard."
Democrats inside and outside Maine remain split: some donors and operatives said they are committed to Platner while other major donors have grown skittish and advisers are steering money to other battleground Senate races. "Several donors I know are still all-in for Platner because he’s not Susan Collins and he’s a Democrat," said Alex Hoffman, a Democratic strategist and donor adviser.
Several prominent Democrats have continued to back Platner, including Sens. Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren and Ruben Gallego, and no prominent Democrats immediately rescinded endorsements. Rep. Ro Khanna reiterated his support and is scheduled to appear with Platner at a get-out-the-vote rally in Bar Harbor on Friday evening alongside Democratic candidates for U.S. House and governor; the event is days ahead of the state’s June 9 primary and includes local candidates Matt Dunlap and Troy Jackson.
Platner, who has never held elected office, is an oyster farmer and a combat veteran and is 41. He has drawn large crowds at rallies and raised millions in campaign funds as he builds a progressive, populist-style campaign focused on working-class issues.
Fifield told the paper she dated Platner for about two years beginning in 2013, when he was a student at George Washington University after his military service. Another woman, Jenny Racicot, who said she dated Platner on and off between 2019 and 2021, said he once came to her house drunk in 2021 after she asked him not to come over. Attempts to reach Fifield and Racicot were not successful.
Platner is expected to secure the Democratic nomination in the June 9 primary; state law allows the party to replace a nominee if he withdrew before mid-July. His campaign has already weathered controversies over a tattoo he later covered and past offensive online posts, for which he has apologized, and it suffered resignations last year by his political director, finance director and campaign manager.
Rep. Ro Khanna, who appeared at a rally with Platner, condemned the allegations as "misogynistic, they were shameful, they were wrong," and said they "didn't come as a surprise to a lot of folks in Maine," Khanna said.
Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick warned Sunday that lawmakers "have to set a higher bar" in Congress and cautioned about actions lawmakers could take if Platner were to unseat Sen. Susan Collins, Fitzpatrick said.
Sen. Mark Warner said Sunday the allegations are "disturbing" if true, that the matter is ultimately for Maine voters to weigh, and that Platner should try to "disprove them, if that's the case," Warner said. Warner also said he has never met Platner.