Graham Platner’s Maine Senate campaign has entered its most volatile stretch yet, as new allegations about his past relationships collide with a high-stakes Democratic effort to defeat longtime Republican Sen. Susan Collins.
Rep. Ro Khanna, a California progressive and one of Platner’s leading national allies, acknowledged Friday that the Democratic Senate hopeful’s past relationships were “toxic and volatile.” But Khanna also defended Platner, saying he is “taking accountability” and deserves the chance for redemption.
The comments came in Bar Harbor, Maine, ahead of a rally for Platner, who is considered the Democrats’ presumptive nominee before Tuesday’s primary. His campaign is now under pressure from multiple controversies, including inflammatory Reddit posts, a covered-up tattoo that resembled a Nazi symbol, and new allegations from former girlfriends describing rape fantasies, heavy drinking and violent episodes. The Guardian also reported that Platner has rejected recent allegations as politically motivated while continuing to argue that his campaign is rooted in accountability and personal growth.
Khanna’s Defense
Khanna did not dismiss the seriousness of the allegations.
“I’m more concerned about making it clear that we’re opposed to misogyny, those relationships were toxic and volatile, there’s no excuse for that,” he told Fox News Digital.
He said he had spoken with Platner, who described that period of his life as dark and connected it to his return from combat service in Iraq. Khanna emphasized that military trauma does not excuse the conduct, but said Platner had changed after returning to Maine and becoming an oyster farmer.
“To me that suggests someone taking accountability and improving their lives and we need that redemption in this country,” Khanna said.
Khanna also tied his support to policy, saying he agrees with Platner’s economic platform, including taxing billionaires and focusing on working-class voters.
The Allegations Facing Platner
Platner, a military combat veteran and oyster farmer, has faced a steady stream of controversies since launching his campaign.
The latest allegations involve former girlfriends who described a history of rape fantasies, heavy drinking and violent episodes. The source article does not include full documentation of those allegations, and Platner has publicly rejected them as false and politically motivated.
Those claims follow earlier controversies. Platner previously apologized for inflammatory Reddit posts that surfaced after he entered the Senate race. He has also addressed a tattoo on his chest that resembled a Nazi symbol, saying he received it in 2007 while drinking with fellow Marines in Croatia and later covered it after learning what it resembled.
The Financial Times reported that the newest claims have created a crisis for Democrats in Maine and reignited questions about whether Platner can remain a strong challenger to Collins.
Platner’s Message to Supporters
At Friday’s rally in Bar Harbor, Platner leaned heavily on the language of survival, recovery and loyalty.
He thanked supporters for standing by him as his past became a central issue in the campaign. He said old comments, personal struggles and allegations were being dug up, litigated and weaponized against 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 told the crowd.
He then described the latest allegations as “politically motivated” and “false.”
“Maine, you have my back,” he said.
His campaign said more than 600 people attended the rally and said it had raised $200,000 in the previous 24 hours, calling it the campaign’s strongest fundraising day since Gov. Janet Mills suspended her campaign.
Collins Seizes on the Controversy
Collins, who is seeking a sixth Senate term, responded cautiously but sharply when asked about the latest allegations.
“The allegations in the latest story are troubling,” Collins said. “And I believe that Graham Platner has a lot of questions to answer.”
Collins is a moderate Republican who sometimes breaks with President Donald Trump’s agenda. She remains one of the most prominent Republican incumbents on the 2026 map, and the Maine race is expected to be one of the contests that could determine control of the Senate.
For Republicans, Platner’s controversies offer a clear line of attack. A super PAC aligned with Collins has been running ads focused on his record and past remarks.
The National Republican Senatorial Committee called Platner “a fraud” after Friday night’s rally, while the Republican National Committee pointed to the new allegations in a social media post.
The Janet Mills Question
Platner’s standing as the likely Democratic nominee became stronger after two-term Gov. Janet Mills suspended her campaign earlier this spring.
Mills had been backed by longtime Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer and much of the party establishment, but she trailed Platner in fundraising and polling before stepping back. Her name remains on the ballot, and a source in her wider political orbit confirmed to Fox News that she has received calls urging her to re-enter the race amid Platner’s controversies.
There is no active campaign effort on her behalf, according to the source article.
Asked about Mills, Khanna said American democracy allows candidates to run directly, run ambiguously or keep their name on the ballot. But he predicted Platner would win and said Democrats needed to unite behind the goal of defeating Collins.
A Party Split Between Risk and Reward
The Platner controversy has exposed a familiar Democratic dilemma.
Progressive supporters see him as an economically populist candidate who can speak to working-class voters and challenge corporate power. Khanna and Sen. Bernie Sanders have backed him as part of a broader push for candidates who campaign against billionaires and entrenched interests.
But the allegations have raised concerns about whether Democrats are risking a winnable race by rallying behind a candidate facing personal controversies. The New York Post reported that some Democrats who have previously emphasized accountability around sexual misconduct have remained cautious or quiet as the allegations against Platner have escalated.
That tension is now central to the race: Democrats want to defeat Collins, but they must decide whether Platner’s message can overcome the weight of his past.
Maine Voters React
Voters interviewed by Fox News Digital before the rally were divided.
Jeff from Waterboro, Maine, said the situation was damaging and argued that Democrats would need a different candidate if they wanted to win. He described himself as conservative but said Platner had “too much” baggage.
Ellen from Acton, Maine, said Platner was not perfect, but believed he could still do a good job.
Those reactions reflect the larger question facing Maine Democrats: whether voters will view Platner as a flawed but accountable candidate, or as someone whose controversies make him too risky for a general election against Collins.
Why the Moment Matters
The moment matters because Maine is not just another Senate race.
Collins has long been a difficult Republican for Democrats to defeat, especially in a state that often rewards political independence. At the same time, Democrats see the seat as crucial to their chances of taking back the Senate.
Platner’s campaign had been built around economic populism, military service and working-class identity. Now, it is also being defined by whether voters accept his argument that he has confronted his past and changed.
Khanna’s defense gives Platner political cover from a prominent progressive ally. But it also raises a sharper standard: if redemption is the argument, accountability must be convincing.
Ro Khanna’s defense of Graham Platner did not deny the darkness around the allegations. Instead, it framed the campaign around whether voters believe people can grow beyond a troubled past.
Khanna called Platner’s relationships “toxic and volatile,” but said he sees a candidate taking responsibility and improving his life. Platner says the accusations are false and politically motivated. Collins says he has questions to answer. Republicans say the controversies make him unfit.
Maine voters will be the first to decide which argument carries more weight. For Democrats, the stakes reach far beyond one candidate’s biography. The race could help determine control of the Senate — and whether a campaign built on redemption can survive the hardest questions of all.
