One of the most closely watched Senate races in the United States has been thrown into turmoil just days before voters head to the polls. Graham Platner, the Democratic candidate in Maine, is battling a firestorm of controversy ahead of Tuesday's primary, in a contest that could ultimately help decide which party controls the Senate.
Platner is an oyster farmer and former Marine who is running to unseat the long-serving Republican Senator Susan Collins. His campaign had drawn national attention as Democrats look for a candidate capable of flipping the seat, but a series of damaging reports about his past conduct has now put both the candidate and his party on the defensive.
The most serious allegations came from a New York Times report, in which three of Platner's former girlfriends described his behavior as toxic and unsettling. One of the women, Lyndsey Fifield, recounted an argument during which, she said, Platner twisted her arm behind her back, shoved her into a bedroom and held the door closed from the other side so that she could not get out.
The accusations followed earlier controversies, including a series of since-deleted sexist online posts and reports that Platner had exchanged sexually explicit messages with a number of women shortly after his marriage. According to a Wall Street Journal account, his wife had told the campaign in August about explicit messages she had found on his phone earlier in their marriage.
Platner has pushed back forcefully against the claims. His campaign said he strongly disputes the allegations that he physically intimidated or threatened anyone, while the candidate himself has acknowledged mistakes in his past. He has spoken openly about living with undiagnosed and untreated PTSD and depression after his deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, and has admitted that he drank too much.
He has also faced questions about a tattoo resembling a Nazi symbol, which he says he got while serving in the Marines about 18 years ago. Platner insists he only recently became aware of the connection and had it covered up within days. His wife, meanwhile, has stood by him, describing the reports about the explicit messages as shameful.
The fallout has divided his own party. Some figures, including Senator Bernie Sanders, have stood by him, while others have voiced exasperation, and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer met with him after the reports emerged. Republican Senator Collins called the latest allegations troubling, saying Platner has a lot of questions to answer. Despite the scandals, a University of New Hampshire poll conducted in late May had shown Platner leading Collins in a general election matchup, and Maine Governor Janet Mills, who had suspended her own campaign, has reminded Democrats they can still vote for her on Tuesday.