Graham Platner, the Democratic nominee for Senate in Maine, fired back at critics, saying, “They continue to try to make this race about me, and what they fail to understand is, it’s not about me at all. It’s about us. It’s about Maine.”
Platner won the Democratic primary Tuesday night, obtaining 72% of the vote to now challenge incumbent Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) for Senate in November. Discussing his primary victory and addressing past allegations of misconduct and an ongoing sexting scandal, Platner stated that none of it is “actually concerning.”
“People will make everything seem concerning because that’s what people do in politics,” Platner said on MS Now’s Morning Joe Wednesday.
Throughout his campaign, Platner has faced several allegations, including racism, accusations involving Nazi symbolism, claims of infidelity, and reports that he exchanged sexually explicit messages with women who were not his wife.
Platner argued that his critics were attempting to divert attention from what he views as the real issue: the challenges working Mainers face.
“This is what everyone wants to make the campaign about, so we do not talk about the struggles of working Mainers,” he said. “We do not talk about the fact that I know someone in my hometown here who works three jobs and pays over 60% of her income in rent.”
COLLINS AND PLATNER SET UP BLOCKBUSTER MAINE SENATE SHOWDOWN
Platner maintained that the needs and concerns of Maine residents were far more important than the details of his personal life, saying, “I think that matters a lot more than the details of my relationship before I ran for United States Senate.”
“It’s about the working people of this state,” he said.