Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner held a campaign rally Friday night in Bal Harbor, Maine, marking his first large public event since a series of allegations and personal controversies rocked his campaign just days before the June 9 primary.
Platner told supporters that even as critics revisit his past and level what he described as false accusations, Mainers have stood by him.
“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 and when politically motivated serious and folk false accusations are made against me, Maine, you have my back.”
With primary day just days away, Friday’s rally served as an important test of whether Platner can reassure and mobilize supporters, while maintaining momentum in a race that has become one of the most closely watched Democratic primaries of the 2026 election cycle.
The Get-Out-the-Vote rally comes after a tumultuous week for Platner and a day after The New York Times published a report detailing allegations from several ex-girlfriends, including from Lyndsey Fifield, who said he repeatedly grabbed her hard enough to leave marks, pulled her from a taxi by the wrist during an argument and, in one incident, twisted her arm behind her back and held her in a room.
Fifield told the newspaper that Platner never punched or hit her but said the incidents left her frightened. The report also included criticism from other women about Platner’s behavior in past relationships. Platner denied the allegations on MS NOW, calling claims of physical abuse “simply not true” and characterized them as politically motivated.
Platner said that there were aspects of his past for which he takes responsibility, including struggles with alcohol and difficult periods following his military service. However, he rejected claims that he physically harmed former partners and disputed allegations related to a tattoo that critics said resembled Nazi imagery.
Platner also faced scrutiny about sexually explicit messages he exchanged with multiple women early in his marriage. He has publicly acknowledged sending the messages and apologized for his conduct.
Despite the controversies, Platner has retained the backing of several high-profile Democrats, all of whom view Maine’s Senate race as critical to Democrats’ hopes of reclaiming the chamber. Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., joined Platner at the rally, underscoring continued support from prominent progressive allies despite growing scrutiny of the candidate’s past, though at least a handful of Democrats have expressed concerned.