A Democratic congresswoman is breaking ranks with one of her party’s rising Senate candidates, saying a growing series of allegations surrounding his past conduct have effectively ended his viability in her eyes as voters prepare to head to the polls.
Rep. Madeleine Dean of Pennsylvania said Friday that Democrat Graham Platner has “disqualified himself” from the Maine Senate race as new accusations continue to emerge regarding his treatment of women and other controversies from his past.
Speaking with CNN’s Boris Sanchez, Dean expressed concern over the steady stream of allegations that have surfaced in recent days.
“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,” Dean said. While noting that she is not a voter in Maine, she added that Platner “has disqualified himself in my eyes.”
Platner, a progressive oyster farmer seeking the Democratic nomination to challenge Sen. Susan Collins, has been battling controversy almost since the launch of his campaign. The latest reports have intensified scrutiny at a critical moment, with Maine’s primary election only days away.
According to interviews published by The New York Times, several women who previously dated Platner described troubling experiences from their relationships with him. One former girlfriend characterized his behavior as “unsettling,” while another alleged that he could at times be physically rough with her.
Another former partner, Lyndsey Fifield, a Virginia conservative who reportedly dated Platner between 2013 and 2015, told the newspaper that he was aware of a tattoo resembling a Nazi symbol before it became a public controversy. According to Fifield, Platner referred to the tattoo as “my Totenkopf,” a German term meaning “death’s head” or skull.
The allegations add to a list of controversies that have increasingly dominated discussion of Platner’s campaign rather than his policy positions or his challenge to the Republican incumbent. As often happens in modern political campaigns, personal scandals have become a major focus just as voters are preparing to make their decision.
Platner has pushed back forcefully against some of the claims while accepting responsibility for other aspects of his past behavior. Speaking to MS NOW on Thursday, he denied allegations involving physical conduct and rejected claims that he knew the significance of the tattoo.
“There are some allegations in this piece that I just want to be kind of unequivocal about, are simply not true,” Platner said. He argued that the accusations were being made by individuals he described as politically motivated.
At the same time, Platner acknowledged what he called a “pretty dark period” in his life after returning from combat service with the Marines. He said there were elements of his past for which he has already taken responsibility and discussed publicly for months.
The controversy deepened earlier this week after his campaign confirmed reports that he exchanged sexually explicit text messages with multiple women while married. According to reporting cited by the campaign, his wife, Amy Gertner, discovered the messages in spring 2025. The campaign reportedly treated the matter as private, and Gertner has since publicly defended her husband while criticizing media coverage of the issue.
Platner has stated that the sexting issue was addressed early in their relationship and ended when the couple married in November 2023.
Despite the growing pressure, Platner has made clear that he does not intend to leave the race. While some Democrats are distancing themselves from his candidacy, others continue to support him.
Rep. Ro Khanna of California acknowledged that the behavior described in The New York Times report was “wrong and toxic” but said Platner has admitted his mistakes and sought redemption. Khanna argued that Maine voters should ultimately decide whether Platner deserves the opportunity to represent them in the Senate.
