A Democratic lawmaker said Friday that her own party’s presumptive nominee for the US Senate seat from Maine, Graham Platner, has “disqualified himself” from serving in office as a cascade of allegations continues to engulf his campaign.
Pennsylvania Rep. Madeleine Dean delivered the blunt assessment during an appearance on CNN, where she was asked whether she still supported Platner’s bid for the US Senate amid mounting scrutiny over his past conduct and personal behavior.
“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 told CNN host Boris Sanchez.
“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.”
Dean suggested the accumulating allegations had crossed a threshold that made Platner unfit for office.
“We’ll see what Maine does about it,” she said on CNN.
“And I know Governor Janet Mills remains on the ballot, but he has disqualified himself.”
Dean stopped short of calling on Platner to withdraw from the race, but her comments underscored growing unease within parts of the party.
Dean’s comments marked one of the strongest condemnations yet from a Democratic lawmaker as Platner faces growing pressure over a series of damaging reports that have rocked his campaign in recent weeks.
The controversy intensified last week after the Wall Street Journal reported that Platner’s wife had previously informed campaign staffers that she caught him sending sexually explicit messages to other women early in their marriage.
According to the report, the couple later attended counseling and worked through the episode.
The revelations followed months of scrutiny surrounding Platner’s campaign, which has already been battered by controversy tied to a tattoo resembling a Nazi-linked Totenkopf symbol and resurfaced social media posts that prompted public apologies from the candidate.
Fresh allegations emerged this week after the New York Times published interviews with former romantic partners who accused Platner of abusive and disturbing behavior during past relationships.
Among the allegations detailed in the report were claims that Platner behaved aggressively during arguments and made alarming comments, including one former girlfriend’s allegation that he once said he would “rape” a home intruder to demonstrate dominance.
Platner, who polls show is ahead of the GOP incumbent, Sen. Susan Collins, has denied the most serious accusations.
The candidate has acknowledged what he has described as a “dark period” in his life marked by alcohol abuse and untreated PTSD, while denying allegations of physical abuse and disputing claims that he knowingly displayed Nazi symbolism through his tattoo.
His wife, Amy Gertner, has also publicly defended their marriage, saying the couple addressed their challenges through counseling and emerged stronger.
The Post has sought comment from Platner.
