As Platner targets Senate seat, fellow Democrats hold their noses ahead of Maine primary

By Svea Herbst-Bayliss and Timothy Gardner

NEW YORK, June 7 (Reuters) – Reports about presumptive Senate nominee Graham Platner’s past have left some of his fellow Democrats feeling uneasy about him just days before the state’s primary.  

Multiple Democratic lawmakers on Sunday expressed reservations about their party’s likely choice in November’s race to represent Maine in the Senate, even as Platner holds a wide lead in polls ahead of Tuesday’s primary election.

Appearing on morning TV talk shows, congressional Democrats criticized him to varying degrees, though none of them called for him to end his campaign amid reports he exchanged sexual messages with women while he was already married and that past romantic partners described his behavior as “toxic.”

For Representative Tom Suozzi of New York, the reports from several news outlets last week cast a brighter spotlight on long-simmering concerns. “I’ve been unsettled about Graham Platner for a long time about the issues and the positions he takes on issues, not just the allegations about his personal conduct,” Suozzi said on CNN’s “State of the Union” program.

Senator Mark Warner of Virginia said the reports about Platner are “disturbing” if they turn out to be true. But the election success of President Donald Trump, a Republican, shows that politicians can survive allegations of bad behavior toward women, Warner said on ABC’s “This Week” show. 

“I think President Trump set a new standard,” he said. “Whether that low standard is what we ought to proceed with, I think it’s going to be again in the hands of the voters.”

Platner’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment. He previously has apologized for the text messages, while calling reports about them and other past behavior politically motivated.

Representative Ro Khanna of California, who campaigned for Platner in Maine this week, said on Sunday that Democrats should admit his behavior was unacceptable and then shift the discussion to critical national issues. 

“We should focus on acknowledging it was misogynistic, acknowledging it was wrong, moving on with redemption,” Khanna told CBS’ “Face the Nation” program.

If Platner wins on Tuesday, he is expected to face longtime Senator Susan Collins, a Republican, in one of the country’s most closely watched political battles.

Republican lawmakers in TV appearances criticized Platner, who is scheduled to hold a town hall in Maine on Sunday evening.

Platner’s past is “very, very troubling,” said Representative Brian Fitzpatrick, a Pennsylvania Republican, who also appeared on the CNN program. “We have to set a higher bar,” Fitzpatrick said. 

Republican Senator Dave McCormick, also of Pennsylvania, called Platner one of the Democrats’ “extreme” candidates.   

“Who would have thought you could be a misogynist, have allegations of violence against women … and have the mainstream of your party endorsing you?” he said on Fox News’ “Sunday Briefing” show.

(Reporting by Svea Herbst-Bayliss and Timothy Gardner; Editing by Sergio Non)