PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Graham Platner was met by an enthusiastic and supportive crowd Sunday at a town hall-style event in Maine as the Democrat looks to advance his Senate campaign after reports about his past treatment of women just days before the state’s crucial primary.
The Democratic primary is still seen as Platner’s to win, but he is facing questions about his past that could make it difficult to defeat longtime incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins.
“We’re going to win on Tuesday and we’re going to win in November and we’re going to take power back for the people in this country,” Platner said to about 400 people clapping and cheering him on in Portland.
The New York Times on Thursday reported an ex-girlfriend’s allegations that Platner repeatedly grabbed her by the shoulders during arguments and once twisted her arm behind her back and locked her in a room. Platner has repeatedly called those allegations of violence untrue.
Other Platner ex-girlfriends interviewed by the Times described positive experiences, while some said he was volatile and insulting. That story came days after news reports revealing that Platner had exchanged sexually explicit messages with several women while married.
Despite the allegations, no major Democrats who had previously endorsed Platner have rescinded their support.
And at Sunday’s event, attendees avoided asking about Platner’s past and instead asked him about the U.S. Supreme Court, what committees he would want to work on once in the Senate, and whether he supports a federal wealth tax.
“What has blown my mind is that everybody knows what’s going on,” Platner said in response to a question about what outsiders watching the Maine Senate race are getting wrong about the state’s voters.
Platner said he hoped eventually to join the Senate Appropriations Committee, as well as the committees overseeing agriculture and health care, while mentioning he would like to work with Kentucky’s Republican Sen. Rand Paul because of his foreign policy positions.
Platner took a swipe at Sen. John Fetterman, who has criticized the Senate candidate recently, calling him a “creep” and likening him to a “Nazi sympathizer.” Some have questioned whether Platner would be similar to Fetterman, who has a reputation for speaking and voting against his party.
Platner said as a senator it’s important to build relationships and that ”you can’t just go down there and be John Fetterman,” while also calling the Pennsylvania Democrat an expletive. He added that Fetterman “said mean things” about him recently.
Platner held a rally with California Rep. Ro Khanna in Bar Harbor on Friday, where he received a standing ovation and declared that Mainers “have my back.”
A combat veteran, Platner has repeatedly said that he struggled with alcohol and post traumatic stress disorder after his military service, but says he is a changed man.
The latest news has deepened some Democrats’ nervousness about Platner, who already faced scrutiny over online posts that were dismissive of sexual assault and a skull tattoo recognized as a Nazi symbol. Platner has apologized for the posts and covered up the tattoo, saying he didn’t realize its significance when he got it.
Rahm Emanuel, a potential 2028 Democratic presidential candidate who spent the weekend in neighboring New Hampshire, said the “jury is still out” on whether Platner can beat Collins.
“Everybody is holding their breath whether this is the start of something or the end of something,” he said. “If it’s the end, that’s one thing. If it’s the beginning of something and we’re not done, that’s another thing.”
Kurt Fedora, 62, a mental health worker from Buxton, said he attended Sunday’s event to hear Platner talk about working-class issues and fighting corruption. He said he’s unmoved by recent revelations about Platner’s history, and considers them a smear campaign by conservative opponents.
“Maybe there will be something to it, but they’re really reaching far to try to pin something on him. And it’s politics as usual,” Fedora said.
Others worried that Platner at times reminded them of President Donald Trump.
Debbi Conley, a 69-year-old retiree from Gorham, said she wanted to learn more about Platner even as she’s almost certain he’ll win on Tuesday, but she’s skeptical of him at the moment.
“I think people have been frustrated with Susan Collins, so they’re looking for alternatives,” Conley said. “My concerns with Graham Platner are that he’s talking about change, but sometimes it reminds me of the same talk that Trump had like ‘drain the swamp’.”
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Associated Press writer Steven Sloan contributed to this report from Warren, New Hampshire. Kruesi reported from Providence, Rhode Island.
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Graham Platner gets a lift from friendly Maine crowd after week of damage control in Senate campaign
