Former Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner greeted reporters with profanity when they caught up with him back at work on Maine’s coast after sexual misconduct allegations derailed his campaign. Platner, who withdrew from the race in July, had returned to oyster farming in Sullivan. He responded sharply to questions about his work and life after politics. His departure left Democrats running replacement candidate Troy Jackson against Republican Senator Susan Collins ahead of the November 3rd election.
The encounter happened after Platner paddled ashore in a kayak, leaving his boat anchored offshore. Reporters approached the former candidate roughly a week before voters would decide the Senate contest he had once hoped to win. Asked about his activities, Platner directed the conversation toward his oyster business. He later left in his truck without offering an election prediction.
Platner’s campaign ended after accusations involving sexual messages to women other than his wife, violence toward former partners and sexual assault. He acknowledged sexting but denied the other allegations. He also blamed an organized effort to destroy his candidacy, arguing that his political message had made him a target.
As the New York Post reported, Platner opened the waterfront exchange by asking, “Who the f–k are you weirdos?” The reporter asked what he was doing while Jackson competed against Collins. Platner replied, “What the f–k does it look like I’m up to? I’m being an oyster farmer.”
The Post suggested that working along the Maine coast might be preferable to campaigning and pursuing a job in Washington. “It just seems to be, like, life, man,” Platner responded. Asked how his business had been going since his withdrawal, he said, “It goes the way it always goes, friend.” Before leaving, he added, “People from away have no idea what it is we do for a living.”
Oyster farming had featured prominently in Platner’s campaign, which emphasized his working-class image. The Post reported that he had attended an elite New England preparatory school and that his oyster business’s only customer was his mother’s restaurant. His former downtown campaign office had since been emptied and closed.
Earlier controversies involved a Nazi Death’s Head tattoo on Platner’s chest and internet posts about rape and police dating from approximately 2013 through 2021. Platner subsequently covered the tattoo and said he had acquired it while drinking with fellow Marines without understanding the symbol’s history. He attributed his past online comments to a period when he was suffering from PTSD.
"*" indicates required fields
Watch Platner get confronted by New York Post reporters here:
Some Sullivan residents described seeing Platner return to familiar routines after leaving the race. Dunbar Store owner Josh Winer, whose deli offers a roast beef sandwich named after him, said, “He looks a whole lot more healthy than he did.” Winer added, “Now it’s just him again. He gets a sandwich on his own. We talk about oysters. It’s back to normal.”
Other residents told the newspaper that the allegations had changed their willingness to support him. Allan Flye, a 59-year-old maintenance worker, said, “I heard all the negativity, and it was a turn-off for me.” He added, “I might have voted for him if there was less negativity about him.” A local fruit seller offered a colder assessment: “He’s not a favorite around here. Especially with the women.”
Featured image credit: screengrab from the embedded video.