Graham Platner被认为是民主党人推翻缅因州共和党参议员苏珊·科林斯的最佳机会，也是他们夺回参议院控制权的关键一环。但是个人丑闻动摇了这场竞选。
美国广播公司新闻采访了该州不同地区的几名选民，凸显了缅因州选民对普拉特纳及其候选人资格的分歧。
班戈居民南希·雅各布森(Nancy Jacobson)表示，纽约时报报道的最新指控“动摇”了她，但她认为没有其他选择，并补充说，她预计稍后会有更多关于普拉特纳的事情浮出水面。
"在游戏的这个阶段，我们还能做什么?"雅各布森说。“我觉得他的政治使命是真诚的，这就是我投票支持的。”
在过去的一周里，《纽约时报》发表了两篇独立的报道，一篇指控普拉特纳向多名女性发送露骨的色情短信，这是由《华尔街日报》首次报道的，另一篇是一些前女友声称他们发现他的行为“令人不安和不安”。
普拉特纳承认他是“一个远非完美的男朋友”，但否认他有过身体威胁或暴力行为。他的妻子艾米·格特纳支持他的丈夫。
“没有完美的婚姻，我也不想要完美的婚姻，”她在短信报道后的视频声明中说。“我想要我的婚姻，我想和格雷厄姆结婚。”
一些缅因州民主党人表示，他们不会投票给普拉特纳
一些缅因州民主党人也很紧张，新的指控可能会损害普拉特纳在11月击败柯林斯的机会。
缅因州众议员艾莉森·赫普勒(Allison Hepler)和霍利·伊顿(Holly Eaton)告诉美国广播公司(ABC)新闻，他们将在周二的民主党初选中投票给州长珍妮特·米尔斯(Janet Mills)，尽管米尔斯在4月份暂停了她的竞选活动。
伊顿最初支持普拉特纳，但后来撤回了支持，称她不会在11月投票给他，即使参议院的控制权岌岌可危。
“实际上，我一度支持过普拉特纳，”伊顿说。然而，她说，在多年来有争议的网上评论出现后，以及指控普拉特纳在胸前有一个与纳粹主义有关的纹身后，她撤回了她的支持。
“那不是我能支持的人，”她说。
她补充道:“从现在到11月，会发生很多事情。所以，老实说，我会告诉你，我永远不会投票给格雷厄姆·普拉特纳。”
直到去年10月，也就是他得到这个纹身的大约18年后，普拉特纳强烈否认知道这个纹身与纳粹的联系。那个月他隐瞒了这件事。
一些选民说，太多的关注普拉特纳的个人生活
Sarina Brooks是一名终身的Mainer和心理健康治疗师，也是一名民主党人，她说她现在坚持与Platner合作。
“在这一点上，我坚持我对他的支持，”布鲁克斯说。“在这一点上，我总是有权改变我的想法，但我仍然支持他。我支持他的主张。对我来说，我认为他仍然是我们的最佳选择，但我们将拭目以待事情的发展。”
缅因州的其他民主党人，包括克里斯托弗·梅乔(Christopher Mejo)，对最近的指控并不感到不安，称他支持普拉特纳的决定是“容易的选择”。
“我并不想成为他的朋友。我正在寻找一个能代表我利益的人，”梅乔说。
来自波特兰的泰勒·斯托达德也有同感，他补充说，他认为人们对普拉特纳的个人生活关注太多了。
斯托达德说:“我认为我们真的在放大格雷厄姆·普拉特纳生活中的所有个人事务，这些事务实际上并不影响他的政策、他的主张以及他能为国家做些什么。”
普拉特纳召集支持者:“你支持我”
《纽约时报》周四发表的这篇文章是基于对几名女性的采访，她们说自己之前与这位民主党参议员候选人有过交往，包括对有毒行为的指控，这些行为造成了情感伤害。
为这篇文章采访的一些妇女声称，普拉特纳可能是在贬低女性，至少在一个案例中，甚至是身体上的威胁。文章中的其他人称他为“温柔的巨人”。
普拉特纳说，他与未确诊的创伤后应激障碍作斗争，并用酒精进行自我治疗，但否认与他的伴侣有身体暴力行为。
周五晚上，在缅因州巴尔港的一次集会上，普拉特纳谈到了他竞选期间出现的争议，坚称他仍然得到该州选民的支持。
“十年前，当我在互联网上说的伤人的话被公之于众时，我分享了我的PTSD个人旅程，以及康复、责任和成长的黑暗，缅因州支持我，”普拉特纳说。
“现在，当那段过去和旅程的每一个片段都被挖掘出来，被提起诉讼，被武器化，你会支持我，”他说。
这些评论得到了与会者的热烈掌声和欢呼。
普拉特纳的妻子艾米·格特纳(Amy Gertner)和他一起出现在集会上，受到了观众的起立鼓掌。
根据《纽约时报》和《华尔街日报》上周在本周早些时候发表的报道，格特纳在2025年向他的竞选团队发出警告，称她的丈夫涉嫌与多名女性交换色情短信。
“因为我，艾米和我经历了一些艰难的事情，”普拉特纳在本周早些时候对媒体的一份声明中说。“我们完成了工作，我每天每时每刻都感激她。”
进步国会议员为普拉特纳辩护
普拉特纳受到了一些民主党议员的抨击，并于本周在国会山会见了参议院少数党领袖查克·舒默和其他参议员，旨在加强支持并减轻民主党领导层的担忧。
但许多民主党人坚持四面楚歌的可能被提名人，包括众议员罗·卡纳，他是周五普拉特纳酒吧港集会的主角。
“民主党，从舒默到(参议员伯尼)桑德斯，都团结在一个目标之下:我们将在11月击败苏珊·科林斯!”卡纳告诉一屋子的与会者。
在活动前接受美国广播公司新闻采访时，卡纳说，他与普拉特纳谈到了《纽约时报》报道的最新指控。
“我说他的所作所为有毒，是错误的。我和他谈过这件事。他承认这是对女性的歧视。他说那是他一生中的黑暗时期。他是个老兵。他在伊拉克执行了两次任务，带着很多麻烦回来了。现在，我不是说这是他所做的借口——他接受了责任——但我相信救赎，”卡纳说。
《加州进步报》补充说，在政策上，普拉特纳与该党是一致的。
“对我来说，最大的问题是，你会反对伊朗战争吗?你会反对亿万富翁和财富不平等吗?你会降低价格吗?你能打败苏珊·科林斯吗?”卡纳说。“这就是为什么我认为民主党需要团结在即将成为我们提名人的普拉特纳身后，我们必须赢得这个席位。”
“所以你是在要求缅因州人民实质上超越个人问题，关注政策?”ABC新闻问道。
“不，我认为他们应该关注这些问题，”卡纳说。“但我认为，他们应该给格雷厄姆·普拉特纳一个机会，让他解释自己所处的人生阶段，并评估自己:自己成长了吗?他成熟了吗?有没有一种救赎感?”
'What else are we going to do?' Maine Democrats divided over Platner, some stick with him reluctantly
Graham Platner was supposed to be Democrats' best shot at toppling longtime Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins -- and a key part of their path back to control of the Senate. But personal scandals have rocked the race.
ABC News spoke with several voters in different parts of the state -- highlighting the division among voters in Maine about Platner and his candidacy.
Bangor resident Nancy Jacobson said the latest allegations reported in The New York Times "shake" her, but she sees no other option, adding that she expects more things to come out later about Platner.
"What else are we going to do with this stage in the game?" Jacobson said. "I feel like his political mission is sincere, and that's what I'm voting for."
Over the past week, The New York Times published two separate reports, one with allegations Platner sent sexually explicit text messages to multiple women, which was first reported by the Wall Street Journal, and another with some former girlfriends alleging they found his behavior "intimidating and disturbing."
Platner has acknowledged he was "a far from perfect boyfriend," but denied he was ever physically threatening or violent. His wife, Amy Gertner, is supporting her husband.
"No marriage is perfect and I don't want a perfect marriage," she said in a video statement following reports on the text messages. "I want my marriage and I want to be married to Graham."
Some Maine Democrats say they won't vote for Platner
Some Maine Democrats are also nervous that new allegations could harm Platner's chances of beating Collins in November.
Maine state Reps. Allison Hepler and Holly Eaton told ABC News that they will be voting for Gov. Janet Mills in Tuesday's Democratic primary, even though Mills suspended her campaign in April.
Eaton initially endorsed Platner but then withdrew her support, saying she would not vote for him in November, even with control of the Senate at stake.
"I actually endorsed Platner at one point," Eaton said. However, she said she pulled her endorsement after controversial, yearsold online comments emerged, as well as allegations Platner had a tattoo on his chest associated with Nazism.
"That was not someone that I could support," she said.
She added: "There's a lot that can happen between now and November. And so I would be, honestly, I'll tell you, I will never vote for Graham Platner."
Platner has vehemently denied knowing about the tattoo's Nazi link until this past October, some 18 years after he got it. He had it covered up that month.
Some voters say too much focus on Platner's personal life
Sarina Brooks, a lifelong Mainer and mental health therapist who identifies as a Democrat, said that she's sticking with Platner for now.
"At this point, I'm holding my support for him in place," Brooks said. "I do always hold the right to change my mind at this point, but I still support him. I stand behind what he stands for. For me, I think that he is still our best option, but we will wait and see how things pan out."
Other Democrats in Maine, including Christopher Mejo, are unbothered by the recent allegations, calling his decision to support Platner an "easy choice."
"I'm not looking to be his friend. I'm looking for somebody who will represent my interests," Mejo said.
Tyler Stoddard from Portland shared the sentiment, adding that he thinks there's been too much focus on Platner's personal life.
"I think that we're really zooming in on all the personal matters in Graham Platner's life that doesn't actually affect his policies and what he stands for and what he could do for the state," Stoddard said.
Platner rallies supporters: 'You have my back'
The New York Times article published Thursday was based on interviews with several women, who said they were previously involved with the Democratic Senate candidate and included allegations of toxic behavior that took an emotional toll.
Some of the women interviewed for the article claimed that Platner could be demeaning to women and, in at least one case, even physically threatening. Others in the article called him a "gentle giant."
Platner has said he struggled with undiagnosed PTSD and self-medicated with alcohol but denied physical roughness with his partners.
At a rally in Bar Harbor, Maine, on Friday night, Platner addressed the controversies that have unfolded during his campaign, insisting that he still had the support of the state's voters.
"When hurtful things I said on the internet a decade ago came out into the public as I shared my personal journey through PTSD and darkness of recovery and accountability and growth, Maine had my back," Platner said.
"Now, as every single piece of that past and journey gets dug up, litigated, and weaponized, you have my back," he said.
The comments were met with loud applause and cheering from those in attendance.
Platner's wife, Amy Gertner, appeared with him at the rally and received a standing ovation from the audience.
According to reports published earlier this week by The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal last week, Gertner alerted his campaign in 2025 about sexually explicit text messages her husband allegedly exchanged with multiple women.
"Amy and I went through something hard -- because of me," Platner said in a statement to the media earlier this week. "We did the work, and I'm grateful for her every hour of every day."
Progressive congressman makes case for Platner
Platner has drawn fire from some Democratic lawmakers and met with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and other senators on Capitol Hill this week aiming to shore up support and allay concerns of Democratic leadership.
But many Democrats are sticking with the embattled, likely nominee, including Rep. Ro Khanna, who headlined Platner's Bar Harbor rally Friday.
"The Democratic Party, from Schumer to [Sen. Bernie] Sanders, is united with a single goal: we will defeat Susan Collins in November!" Khanna told a packed room of attendees.
In an interview with ABC News before the event, Khanna said he spoke to Platner about the latest allegations reported in the New York Times.
"I said that what he did was toxic and wrong. I talked to him about it. He agrees that it was misogynistic. He says it was a dark period of his life. He's a veteran. He went to two tours of duty in Iraq, and he came back with a lot of trouble. Now, I'm not saying that excuses what he did -- he accepted accountability -- but I believe in redemption," Khanna said.
The California progressive added that on policy, Platner is in line with the party.
"To me the big issues are, are you going to stand against the war in Iran? Are you going stand against billionaires and the wealth inequality? Are you gonna stand to bring down prices? Are you stand to defeat Susan Collins?" Khanna said. "That's why I think the Democratic Party needs to unify behind Platner, who is going to be our nominee, and we've got to win this seat."
"So you're asking the people of Maine to essentially look past the personal issues and focus on policy?" ABC News asked.
"No, I think that they should look at those issues," Khanna said. "But I believe they should give Graham Platner a chance to explain the period of his life that he was in and evaluate: Has he grown? Has he matured? Has there been a sense of redemption?"
