Former Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner cursed at a reporter who approached him on the coast of Sullivan, Maine, in footage posted Thursday, months after his campaign collapsed under allegations of rape and sexual misconduct.
“Who the f–k are you weirdos?” Platner said to a New York Post reporter who met him as he paddled a kayak to shore.
Asked what he has been doing while his replacement, state Sen. Troy Jackson (D), runs against Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) ahead of the November 3 election, Platner said, “What the f–k does it look like I’m up to? I’m being an oyster farmer.”
When the reporter suggested life on the Maine coast might be more pleasant than a Senate campaign and a seat in Washington, Platner replied, “It just seems to be, like, life man.”
Asked how the oystering has gone since he dropped out of the race in July, he said, “It goes the way it always goes, friend,” adding, “People from away have no idea what it is we do for a living.”
Platner declined to answer questions about the upcoming election and drove off in his truck, according to the report.
A campaign built on a working-class image that didn’t hold up
Platner ran as a plainspoken oysterman, but reporting later found he attended one of New England’s most prestigious prep schools and that his oyster farming operation had a single client: his mother’s restaurant.
He dropped out of the Senate race after facing allegations of sexting women other than his wife, violence toward former partners, and an accusation of rape. He has admitted to the sexting but denies the other allegations.
Platner also faced backlash after it emerged he had a Nazi Death’s Head tattoo on his chest. He later had it covered and said he got it while intoxicated with fellow Marines, claiming he did not know what the symbol meant at the time.
Mixed reception back home
Neighbors in Sullivan told the outlet Platner appears to be doing better since leaving the campaign trail. Josh Winer, owner of the Dunbar Store, which has a roast beef sandwich named after Platner, said he’s “just a regular person again.”
“He looks a whole lot more healthy than he did. Now it’s just him again. He gets a sandwich on his own. We talk about oysters. It’s back to normal,” Winer said.
Winer said Platner has been a regular customer for years and still stopped by when he could during the campaign.
Not everyone in town is glad to see him back. A local fruit seller told the outlet to “just drop it,” adding, “He’s not a favorite around here. Especially with the women.”
