Maine Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Graham Platner is pushing back against new allegations about his conduct in a past relationship after a New York Times report detailed accusations of troubling behavior from some of his exes.
Accusations were made against Platner from an ex-girlfriend who said he was physically intimidating during arguments and described what she characterized as behavior that left her feeling uneasy. The report is the latest in a series of stories examining Platner’s personal history and relationships as he remains the leading Democratic candidate in the Maine’s closely watched Senate race.
During an interview on MS Now with Chris Hayes Thursday, Platner was asked directly about the allegation that he had been physically threatening in a previous relationship. “Did that happen?” Hayes asked. “No, it did not,” Platner responded. He acknowledged that the report contained allegations about his past but firmly rejected claims that he had engaged in physical intimidation or abuse.
“There are some allegations in this piece that I just want to be kind of unequivocal about, are simply not true. Anything alleging physicality, anything alleging that I knew what my tattoo was, these are the statements of someone who is politically motivated,” Platner said to Hayes in part.
Newsweek reached out to Platner’s campaign via email on Thursday night for additional information.
What To Know
The Times article drew on interviews with more than two dozen people, including several women who had romantic relationships with Platner, it says. One former girlfriend, Lyndsey Fifield, alleged that Platner grabbed her shoulders during arguments, while other women raised concerns about his behavior and past statements. The Times also reports that several former partners described Platner positively, with one calling him a “gentle giant.”
In one instance, Fifield alleged that Platner twisted her arm behind her back during an argument, shoved her into a bedroom and blocked her from exiting. She says she fell asleep and then left the next morning, the Times reports.
“It hurt,” Fifield said, adding that “It didn’t cause an injury, it didn’t break my arm.”
She also told the outlet that Platner “never hit me, he never punched me.” The Times said it could not independently corroborate Fifield’s account of the alleged incidents.
Jenny Racicot, who claims to have dated Platner off and on from 2019 to 2021, told the Times that Platner’s behavior was “reckless” and “unsettling,” alleging that he once arrived at her home drunk after she asked him not to come over.
Fifield has spent much of her career in conservative politics, working for Republican campaigns and right-leaning organizations. She previously worked at the The Heritage Foundation, served briefly on Nikki Haley’s 2024 presidential campaign and is currently affiliated with Independent Women, the Times notes. She also said she has no affiliation with Susan Collins’ campaign. Collins is the incumbent Republican candidate running for Senate reelection in Maine.
The allegations arrive as Platner faces increasing scrutiny over other controversies that have recently emerged during his Senate campaign, including reports of sexually explicit text messages he sent to women and renewed questions over a tattoo he has said he did not understand was linked to Nazi imagery when he got it years ago alongside other Marines.
“When did it stop?” Hayes asked about the texting. “It stopped when it was happening,” Platner said, later adding, “It happened soon after we got married. And we dealt with it very, very early in our relationship.”
Despite the growing attention on his personal life, Platner has maintained that he is staying in the race. The primary election in the Pine Tree State is Tuesday.
What Polls Show
A new Public Policy Polling survey found Platner ahead of Collins by 4 points. The poll surveyed 670 registered Maine voters and found the Democrat up 49 percent to Collins’ 45 percent, with 6 percent undecided.
The survey was conducted on June 2 and June 3—after the allegations of sexually explicit messages were reported—and has a margin of error of 3.8 percent. In an aggregate of polling for the race by the Times, it is noted that the poll was sponsored by Platner.
A UMass Lowell/YouGov survey last month shows Platner has 48 percent of the vote compared to Collins’ 43 percent. The survey shows 6 percent are undecided and 2 percent would support another candidate. The poll was taken from May 13 to May 26 among 650 likely Maine voters, with a 4.9 percent margin of error.
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