Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner has recently canceled several campaign events, including scheduled town halls in Augusta and Gorham, as a critical deadline for replacing him on the state's Senate ballot approaches. The campaign for Platner, who is challenging incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins, has also seen an event in Sanford removed from its listings.
Gorham Democrats stated Monday morning that Platner was "not feeling well." The Platner campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding the cancellations.
Sources suggest the reduction in campaign activity comes as Platner and his team anticipate further negative stories surfacing about the candidate. This follows recent reports published by The New York Times detailing allegations of physical abuse and intimidation from six former girlfriends. Platner has also faced scrutiny over accusations of sexting six other women while married, which he and his campaign have acknowledged. Previously, Platner drew attention for offensive comments made on Reddit and for a tattoo of a Nazi SS symbol, which he later replaced.
Maine Democrats have until 5 p.m. on July 13 to select a replacement candidate if they choose to remove Platner from the ballot to face Sen. Collins. A recent survey by The Times, Portland Press Herald, and Siena College indicated Platner holding a narrow lead over Collins, 49% to 47%, with a small percentage of undecided voters.