Oyster farmer and Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner ensnared in series of accusations
A year ago, Graham Platner was the harbormaster of a fishing town in Maine and chairman of the local planning committee. Today, he is the Democratic Senate nominee, a race the party sees as key to regaining control of the House. Several senior figures are now publicly calling for his resignation after a woman accused him of sexual assault.
Plattner, 41, lives in Sullivan, a coastal town in Maine where he farms oysters. He has been on tour many times Marine Corps In West Asia, he said he came back from the war feeling angry and lost. He told MS NOW it was “a pretty dark time”, although he spent time reading and rebuilding his life.
Politics, he said, was never a plan. According to the New York Times, local organizers approached him after a video of him discussing fishing issues circulated.
“Until recently, I thought Harbor Master would be the pinnacle of my political career,” he said after winning the primary.
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Plattner supports universal health care, higher taxes on the wealthy and a higher minimum wage, telling his supporters that “no standard of hard work can justify a billionaire when people in eastern Maine are working three jobs to put food on the table.”
The 41-year-old candidate, who has the backing of Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, defeated the Democratic establishment’s chosen candidate after Gov. Janet Mills withdrew due to fundraising issues.
He won about 72% of the primary vote and ran in November against Susan Collins, whom he has run for Senate since 1996, whom he called “as spineless and corrupt as the institution she now serves,” NBC News reported. Voters who were attracted to him saw an outsider, a veteran and an oyster man who would bring change to Washington.
past
But Plattner’s campaign is clouded by his own past.
A chest tattoo resembling the Nazi Tottenkopf symbol appeared during the campaign. He said he picked up the term while drinking with marines in Croatia in 2007 and had no idea what it meant, the BBC reported. He said he had the tattoos covered when he discovered their meaning, although his ex-girlfriend disputes that timeline, saying he knew about it early on.
Plattner’s old Reddit post also resurfaced. One of the controversial posts said sexual assault victims should “take some responsibility for themselves” and that women should avoid getting drunk.
He later apologized and said: “Maine, I ask you not to judge me for the worst thing I said on the internet on my worst day 14 years ago, but for who I am today and the senator I promise to be.”
The Wall Street Journal separately reported that Plattner confirmed that he had exchanged sexually explicit messages with women outside of his marriage. “I made mistakes early in our marriage and Amy held me accountable for them,” he was quoted as saying by the BBC. His wife said the marriage was “stronger than ever,” The New York Times reported.
Just before the primary, three ex-girlfriends told The New York His past relationships had been unstable and toxic. Some say he broke her arm, pushed her into a bedroom and blocked the door.
Plattner denied this, saying: “Any allegation that I was violent toward my girlfriend is untrue,” he told The New York Times. Speaking on MS NOW, he called the account “the speech of a politically motivated person”.
Also read: Who is Jenny Racicott? Woman claims Graham Plattner sexually assaulted her; details surface
Veterans Responsible Leadership has supported him through it all. “We believe in the power of redemption, and we believe that if people take full responsibility for their past mistakes, they can grow and change, and Graham has done that so far,” Scott Peoples, the organization’s executive director, said, according to Military.com.
Others think Plattner did “something stupid,” but that’s part of the reason he appeals to voters who are tired of the political establishment.
Latest charges
Plattner’s ex-girlfriend told Politico that Plattner entered her home in 2021 and sexually assaulted her after telling Plattner she didn’t welcome visitors.
Plattner denied the allegation in a video statement, saying: “I want to directly address the disturbing, serious and false allegations made against me. Any allegation of non-consensual conduct is absolutely false.”
He said he was “mindful of the political realities this would create” and “spent time thinking about the best path forward for the country I love, the people I love, the movement I belong to and the goal of defeating Susan Collins.”
The reaction from his own party was swift and largely unanimous against him. Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand called the accusations “incredible,” adding that “violence, abuse and sexual assault are absolutely unacceptable.”
The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee said it would not fund the campaign if he remained on the ballot.
Elizabeth Warren, Cory Booker and Elissa Slotkin called on him to step down, while others called for him to step down. democrats Withdrew support for his candidacy. The Maine Democratic Party formally called on him to withdraw, saying “multiple women have made serious, credible allegations against Graham Plattner.”
If Plattner resigns before July 13, Democrats could still replace him on the ballot. If he doesn’t, his name will remain and Maine Democrats will have to decide whether to pursue the most competitive Senate race with a nominee that much of Washington has given up on.
