(The Epoch Times)—At a rally several days before Maine’s primary, Democratic Senate hopeful Graham Platner told supporters he wasn’t the man he used to be.
“If you believe in transformational politics, you have to believe in the ability of people to transform,” he told a large crowd on June 5 in Bar Harbor, a coastal resort town just 20 miles from his campaign headquarters in Ellsworth.
Minutes later, Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), a vice-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, stood by the leading contender for the nomination at the event—Platner’s first since The New York Times reported on allegations of abuse and “unsettling” behavior from multiple women who dated him. The candidate has disputed some accusations leveled in the article, which was published weeks after absentee voting in the June 9 primary began.
Platner “was ashamed of some of the things he said and did” after returning from his service in the U.S. Marine Corps, Khanna said of the man who hopes to oust longstanding Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine).
“And then he, unlike others, took accountability for it,” he added.
Platner’s past sexting of women, Kik account, and chest tattoo of a Nazi symbol had previously drawn scrutiny. The new report includes a claim that Platner knew far more about that symbol than he has acknowledged.
In a June 4 interview after the piece was published, Platner denied any accusations of physical abuse and knowledge of what his tattoo stood for while acknowledging that he was in “a pretty dark period” following his time in the military, during which he went to both Iraq and Afghanistan. He also said he has not considered leaving the race.
Platner took a similar line in Maine, speaking of a “personal journey through PTSD [post-traumatic stress disorder] and darkness, of recovery and accountability and growth,” while adding that the journey was being politically weaponized and that some accusations were false.
In his remarks, Khanna said that “no one on our side should attack the women who came forward.”
“You know why? Because Democrats believe in respecting the equality and the dignity of women, and we always will,” he added, saying that both he and Platner reject misogyny.
Platner, a boutique oyster farmer who briefly worked at a popular Washington bar near the U.S. Capitol, remains the leader in prediction markets on the primary. He has also led his top rivals, Maine Gov. Janet Mills and David Costello, in polling on the race.
Mills, who was previously endorsed by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), suspended campaigning in late April as Platner continued to gain momentum.
Earlier in June, the governor reminded Maine voters that her name remains on the primary ballot.
Some recent polling suggests a potential contest between Platner and Collins is becoming more competitive.
If Platner wins the nomination, Democrats would have until mid-July to replace him on the ballot—but he would have to drop out.
Some speculation for a replacement has focused on Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine), who is not seeking reelection.
On June 4, he told The Epoch Times and another reporter that he does not want to run for Senate.
Speaking to the Platner fans in Bar Harbor, Khanna said he expected the candidate would “see this campaign through.”
Democrats, he said, are united by “a single goal—we will defeat Susan Collins.”
