OAN Staff Jenna Lee
2:10 PM – Saturday, June 6, 2026
Oyster farmer Graham Platner, a Democrat Senate candidate in Maine, used a campaign rally in his home state to fight back against growing controversies surrounding his campaign, dismissing allegations against him as “politically motivated.”
At his rally on Friday, Platner pushed back on scandals rocking his bid to unseat incumbent U.S. Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine), including resurfaced Reddit posts, allegations from former romantic partners and reporting about sexually explicit messages during his marriage.
“When hurtful things I said on the internet a decade ago came out into the public, as I shared my personal journey through PTSD and the darkness of recovery, accountability and growth, Maine had my back,” said Platner to the crowd in Bar Harbor.
“As every single piece of that past and journey gets dug up, litigated, and weaponized. You have my back. And when politically motivated, serious and false accusations are made against me, Maine, you have my back,” he added.
The rally at the resort town came as Washington-based Democrats have begun to publicly suggest that Platner is not the right person to replace Collins in a race crucial to the Democrats for flipping the Senate seat.
The Marine Corps veteran faced down reports over the past week that he sent sexually explicit texts to multiple women despite being married, alongside another report in which three women recounted volatile relationships with Platner in the past.
The scrutiny intensified after questions about his chest tattoo resembling a Nazi-linked Totenkopf symbol emerged. Platner admitted having the tattoo and covered it up, claiming he did not understand the association with Nazi Germany as he was intoxicated when he got it in Croatia in 2007.
Platner’s appearance in Bar Harbor came as he tried to refocus his attention on his economic message, positioning himself as a champion of working-class Mainers struggling with rising costs and economic insecurity.
He has also previously weathered reporting on his deleted Reddit comments insulting rural Mainers and downplaying the seriousness of sexual assault in the military.
Platner, running against Senate candidate David Costello (D-Maine) in the Maine Democrat Senate primary, remains heavily favored to win the June 9th election after Governor Janet Mills (D-Maine) suspended her campaign in April.
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