Many Democratic leaders and representatives are gradually distancing themselves from Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner, as his past and a series of social media controversies continue to resurface.
After Governor Janet Mills decided not to run, Platner unexpectedly emerged as a prominent figure for Democrats in Maine to challenge Republican Senator Susan Collins. However, the more famous he becomes, the greater the internal party pressure grows.
Controversies surrounding Platner have been almost weekly:
– A chest tattoo said to resemble the German Nazi symbol "Totenkopf"
– Old Reddit posts with shocking content
– Statements deemed inappropriate
Melissa DeRosa — former chief of staff to Andrew Cuomo — told Fox News that the Maine race reflects a "civil war" between moderates and progressives within the Democratic Party.
"Many moderate Democrats like me wouldn't be upset if we lost Maine," she said.
Meanwhile, many prominent party figures like Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren have avoided answering whether they still support Platner.
Senator John Fetterman also directly mentioned Platner when stating that the issue of antisemitism within the Democratic Party is "real."
"An applicant with a Nazi tattoo is still leading the primary. That's just crazy," Fetterman said.
For his part, Platner stated that he was unaware the tattoo was associated with a Nazi symbol until the press brought it to his attention.
"If I had known, I would not have gotten that tattoo," Platner said, adding that he plans to have it removed.
Despite the controversies, Platner still attracts a large number of progressive voters and appeared on the cover of Time magazine earlier this month.
