PORTLAND, Maine — The chair of the Democratic National Committee said that past controversial online comments from a U.S. Senate candidate in Maine were wrong and offensive but not disqualifying for office.
The candidate, Graham Platner, is facing scrutiny for since-deleted Reddit posts made between 2013 and 2021. In the posts, he appeared to endorse political violence, dismiss rape in the military, and criticize police officers and rural Americans.
Speaking on CNN, DNC Chair Ken Martin called the remarks “indefensible, hurtful, and offensive,” but added, “I don’t think they’re disqualifying.” Martin noted he was glad Platner had apologized.
In a video statement Friday, Platner apologized for the comments, attributing them to a difficult period after he left the Army in 2012 while struggling with PTSD and depression. He said the posts reflected the “crude humor, the dark, dark feelings, the offensive language” of his time in the infantry.
“I’m sorry for this,” Platner said. “Just know that it’s not reflective at all of who I am. I don’t want you to judge me on the dumbest thing I ever wrote on the internet.”
Since his apology, Platner has released other past Reddit posts in which he encouraged fellow veterans to seek help and criticized homophobia and misogyny within the military.
Platner, an oyster farmer running a progressive campaign, is seeking the Democratic nomination to challenge Republican Sen. Susan Collins. His primary opponents include Maine Gov. Janet Mills. Platner has been endorsed by Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who called him a stronger candidate than Mills.
The Collins campaign condemned the posts, stating they “disparaged everyone from people living in rural areas, to the police” and illustrated rifts within the Democratic Party. The Mills campaign did not respond to a request for comment.
The controversy has prompted mixed reactions among Democrats. Former Waterville Mayor Karen Heck maintained her support for Platner, citing his “authenticity.” However, Platner’s political director, Genevieve L. McDonald, resigned from the campaign.
“While I am empathetic to Graham’s experiences and respect his personal journey and growth, I cannot overlook the volume and nature of his past comments,” McDonald wrote, adding that the statements “are not words or values I can stand behind.”
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