In a whirlwind week for Maine’s U.S. Senate race, Democratic candidate Graham Platner has found himself at the center of a storm over a tattoo and a history of controversial online remarks. Platner, an oyster farmer and first-time political hopeful, revealed on October 22, 2025, that he had covered a chest tattoo previously recognized as a Nazi symbol, a move that has become emblematic of the campaign’s recent turbulence.
The controversy erupted after an old video surfaced showing Platner singing shirtless at his brother’s wedding, with a skull and crossbones tattoo visible on his chest. Some observers pointed out its resemblance to the Totenkopf, a symbol used by Hitler’s paramilitary Schutzstaffel, or SS, notorious for its role in the Holocaust. Platner, who got the tattoo nearly two decades ago during a night of drinking with fellow Marines on leave in Croatia, insisted he was unaware of its Nazi association until recently. “I am not a secret Nazi,” Platner told Pod Save America. “At no point in this entire experience of my life did anyone ever once say, ‘Hey, you’re a Nazi.’”
Platner’s campaign confirmed to USA TODAY that the tattoo has now been covered. In an interview with Vanity Fair, Platner described the new design as “some kind of Celtic knot with a dog on it, because that’s far more in line with my opinions.” The new tattoo, completed late on October 21, 2025, features a Celtic knot and a dog-like creature, filled mostly with black ink and accented with green. Platner displayed the updated tattoo during a televised interview with WGME-TV and in a social media video, expressing frustration that the issue had overshadowed the campaign’s policy discussions.
“Going to a tattoo removal place is going to take a while,” Platner explained to the Associated Press, referencing the limited options in rural Maine. “I wanted this thing off my body.” He added that in the nearly 20 years he had the tattoo, no one questioned its origins, not even during his military service or when he underwent a full background check to join the Ambassador to Afghanistan’s security detail. “I also passed a full background check to receive a security clearance to join the Ambassador to Afghanistan’s security detail,” Platner said, underscoring his surprise at the recent scrutiny.
But the tattoo was just the beginning. In the days following the revelation, Platner faced further backlash as old, now-deleted Reddit posts from 2018 to 2021 resurfaced. According to The Advocate and CNN, these posts included dismissals of military sexual assaults, disparaging remarks about police officers and rural Americans, questions about Black patrons’ tipping habits, and the use of homophobic slurs and anti-LGBTQ+ jokes. Platner, who once worked as a bartender at Tune Inn in Washington, D.C., issued a public apology on October 17, 2025, attributing the comments to struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression after leaving the Army in 2012. “They were made during an earlier part of my life, and I no longer agree with the things I said,” Platner said in a video statement, calling the remarks “the dumbest thing I ever wrote on the internet.”
The fallout was swift. Platner’s former political director, Genevieve McDonald, resigned in protest. One of his primary rivals, Jordan Wood, called for Platner to exit the race, arguing that “Democrats need to be able to condemn Trump’s actions with moral clarity” and that Platner “no longer can.” The National Republican Senate Committee seized the moment, fundraising on behalf of incumbent Republican Senator Susan Collins, who has held the seat for nearly 30 years.
Despite the mounting controversies, Platner has refused to step aside. Instead, he has leaned into his narrative of personal growth and resilience. “All this is doing is galvanizing my commitment to this project,” he told the Associated Press. “I don’t look at this as a liability… It’s a life that I have lived, a journey that has been difficult, that has been full of struggle, that has also gotten me to where I am today. And I’m very proud of who I am.”
Platner’s stance has earned him continued support from prominent progressives. Senator Bernie Sanders, I-VT, and Senator Martin Heinrich, D-NM, have both stood by Platner. “Graham has made a lot of mistakes in his life, he’s had a very long journey to the place where he is today, but he’s owned those mistakes, and he’s evolved and that’s what leadership looks like,” Heinrich said on CNN. Sanders, meanwhile, has described Platner as a stronger candidate than Maine Governor Janet Mills, who entered the race on October 20, 2025, with the backing of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. Mills’ entry has heightened the stakes in a contest Democrats see as crucial for reclaiming a Senate majority.
The race has taken on an almost surreal quality at times. In response to the tattoo uproar, another Democratic candidate released a shirtless photo of his own, showing off a tattoo of Barack Obama’s presidential campaign logo. The campaign trail has become a stage for both contrition and bravado, as candidates grapple with the realities of digital footprints and the relentless pace of modern political opposition research.
On October 22, 2025, Platner addressed a raucous crowd of about 500 supporters at a theater in Ogunquit, Maine. His mother, Leslie Harlow, introduced him, acknowledging it had been a rough week but expressing faith in her son’s ability to weather the storm. Platner spoke candidly about his regrets over the tattoo and his past online behavior. “I am ashamed of things I once said. But I am not ashamed of who I am today,” he declared, drawing applause from the audience.
Outside the rally, supporters like David Tufts of Eliot, Maine, voiced cautious optimism. “I feel like he has done a pretty good job of explaining the Reddit history, the tattoo. I feel like I kind of understand where he was coming from,” Tufts told the Associated Press. “It doesn’t increase my faith in him, but he’s still on board with the campaign.”
As the campaign moves forward, the question remains: Will Maine voters ultimately forgive Platner’s past and accept his claims of personal growth, or will the controversies prove too great a hurdle? For now, as noted in a New York Times analysis on October 24, 2025, many voters have not yet abandoned Platner, even as new revelations continue to test the limits of political rehabilitation and the tolerance of the progressive base.
With the Democratic primary looming and the general election on the horizon, Platner’s journey reflects the messy, human reality of American politics—where past mistakes, public apologies, and the search for redemption are all on display for voters to judge.
