Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner hit with scandal fallout and Musk trillionaire backlash

Graham Platner, the Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate seat from Maine, is confronting multiple controversies that have dominated his campaign. An ex‑girlfriend has alleged that Platner cheated on his fiancée, sent sexually explicit messages to several women, and physically rough‑handled her, while also revealing that his skull tattoo, a Totenkopf design from his time in Croatia, was meant as a reminder that “the US was the evil bad guy.”

During the primary race, Platner posted on X criticizing Elon Musk’s newly announced status as the world’s first trillionaire, a message that was shared widely and provoked strong condemnation from conservative commentators and online users, who cited his personal scandals and policy positions on universal healthcare and gender‑affirming care. Platner will face incumbent Republican Senator Susan Collins in the November election.