(The Center Square) – Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle in Pennsylvania in recent days have criticized Maine Democrat Graham Platner ahead of the primary election, which will determine who the candidates will be in a closely watched U.S. Senate race.
“I think it’s so distressing, all of the stories that are coming out, and they’re more and more, it seems, by the hour,” U.S. Rep. Madeleine Dean, D-4th District, said in an interview with CNN on Friday. “I’m not a voter in Maine, but he has disqualified himself in my eyes. He is not qualified to be a representative, a senator.”
“We’ll see what Maine does about it,” she continued. “And I know Governor Mills remains on the ballot, but he has disqualified himself.”
Platner, a combat veteran and oyster farmer, is widely viewed as the frontrunner for the Democratic Party nomination for U.S. Senate in Maine. He’s attempting to unseat Republican U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, although he still has to earn the Democratic Party nod in Tuesday’s primary election.
He’s been at the center of a number of controversies since he declared his candidacy in August.
The earliest backlash Platner received during the campaign came last fall when now-deleted Reddit posts were revealed in which he, as WGME reports, asked why Black people don’t tip, and another that suggested sexual assault victims should take responsibility.
WGME reports the next controversy was when a chest tattoo from Platner, which resembled Nazi SS Totenkopf symbol, became public. Platner said he got the tattoo in 2007 while serving in the Marines, and claims he didn’t know the symbolism and has since gotten it covered up.
More recently, the Wall Street Journal reported about how his wife flagged sexually explicit texts she found between Platner and other women, while the New York Times published a story headlined “Several Women Who Dated Graham Platner Recall ‘Unsettling’ Behavior.” Platner responded by denying that any physical abuse ever happened, WGME reports.
U.S. Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., is among the lawmakers who has sharply criticized Platner for months.
“Being a dirt bag is not authentic,” Fetterman said in an interview with CNN’s Michael Smerconish over the weekend. “Being a dirt bag is being a dirt bag, and he’s just been caught doing and saying all of these things. When you’re held accountable, you can say their lies, or they’ve been weaponized, or any of that thing.”
Platner fired back at Fetterman on Sunday during a town hall.
“The Senate really is a place of, it’s a lot about relationships, and I I don’t want to go down there and simply be nonfunctional,” Platner said in response to a question, according to Fox News. “I mean, as you can all probably tell, we got a lot of criticisms about the way this government functions. But in order for us to make it functional, we’re going to have to do stuff. And you can’t just go down there and be John Fetterman and just and just kind of just sort of be an a–hole.”
Multiple Republicans in Pennsylvania have also directed their attention towards Platner in recent days.
U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick, R-Pa., in an interview with Fox News on Sunday, blasted Democrats that have stood by Platner over the course of his campaign, while U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-1st District, said “we have to set a higher bar” for those looking to serve in elected office during an interview on CNN.
The U.S. Senate race in Maine may determine control of the chamber in 2027 and has attracted attention from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle in recent months.
Most of the progressive lawmakers who have backed Platner are reportedly standing by him.
Prior to the latest controversy, most Pennsylvania lawmakers had been on the sidelines for this race.
However, one Pennsylvania Democrat has publicly backed his candidacy.
U.S. Rep. Chris Deluzio, D-17th District, sent out a post on social media on April 30, in support of Platner’s candidacy.
“Proud to be supporting a fellow veteran and fighter for hardworking folks to send Susan Collins packing,” Deluzio wrote. “Let’s go win @grahamformaine“
Deluzio also reportedly donated to Platner’s campaign in March.
Deluzio has not issued any public statements on social media about Platner’s candidacy in recent weeks, although he sent out a post on May 28 taking issue with Collins’ recent comments about the Iraq War.
