Graham Platner gets a lift from friendly Maine crowd after week of
damage control in Senate campaign
[June 08, 2026]
By PATRICK WHITTLE and KIMBERLEE KRUESI
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Platner have rescinded their support.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.”
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Graham Platner, Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, speaks at a
campaign event Sunday, June 7, 2026, in Portland, Maine. (AP
Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
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’.”
___
Associated Press writer Steven Sloan contributed to this report from
Warren, New Hampshire. Kruesi reported from Providence, Rhode
Island.
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