Graham Platner denies an e girlfriend's report that he once twisted her arm, held her in a room

Published 5 June 2026 · world

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Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — An e girlfriend alleges that U.S. Senate candidate Graham Platner repeatedly grabbed her hard enough to leave marks, pulled her from a cab by the wrist, and, in one incident, twisted her arm behind her back and held her in a room when they dated more than a decade ago, according to a new report. Lyndsey Fifield told The New York Times that Platner, a Democrat, never hit or punched her, but the incidents left her shaken and afraid. Fifield, a conservative activist, told the Times she dated Platner for about two years, starting in 2013 when he was a student at George Washington University following his military service. Her claims were published as part of a Times report on Platner’s relationships with previous girlfriends, some of whom viewed him positively and others who described him as sometimes insulting, volatile or unfaithful. Another woman, Jenny Racicot, who said she dated Platner on and off between 2019 and 2021, also told The Times about behavior that upset her. She said Platner once came to her house drunk in 2021 after she asked him not to come over.

Racicot, a Maine Democrat, said his behavior was “reckless” and “unsettling.” Platner, an oyster farmer and combat veteran who is favored to win Tuesday’s Democratic primary, denied being violent in a statement to the Associated Press. The Times said in its report that he declined to be interviewed for their story. Read More “Throughout this campaign, I’ve been open about what was a very dark period of my life where I struggled with undiagnosed PTSD, too often self medicated with alcohol, and was a far from perfect boyfriend. I take responsibility for all of that, and wish I had been better,” the statement said. “Any characterization beyond that is false, and I believe, politically motivated. I’m not proud of who I was then, but I am proud of the work I’ve done since, and the movement we are building in Maine.” Attempts by The Associated Press to reach Fifield and Racicot were not successful. Platner, 41, has filled theaters around Maine with his booming voice and progressive politics. He has no experience in elected office, but has fashioned a campaign focused on working-class issues such as the high costs of housing and healthcare. His anticipated run against Republican Sen. Susan Collins in November is key to Democrats’ hopes to take back the Senate. Fifield said that when they drank and argued, he could be rough, including one episode where he twisted her arm behind her back, shoved her into a bedroom and held the door closed from the other side so she couldn’t get out.