Maine’s Daira Smith-Rodriguez (D) suspended her Senate campaign Thursday and threw her support behind Gov. Janet Mills (D) citing fellow candidate Graham Platner’s past comments “dismissing the seriousness of rape in the military.”
“It has become clear that Republicans are eager to see a crowded Democratic primary that divides our voices and strengthens theirs,” Smith-Rodriguez, a U.S. Air Force civilian contracting officer, wrote in a statement. “I will not allow that to happen.”
“There are incredible leaders in this race who are talking about the real issues facing Mainers — from affordability and healthcare to housing and climate,” she said.
Smith-Rodriguez, a survivor of sexual assault in the military, added she “cannot, in good conscience, indicate support or remain silent if there is even a possibility that someone who questions the reality of this crisis could be elevated to the United States Senate.”
“It is simply too great a risk to those who still need a voice to fight for them,” she said.
The Washington Post reported that in 2013, Platner wrote a series of controversial comments on Reddit, including ones that downplayed reports of sexual assault in the military. One such comment said those who are raped should “not get so f‑‑‑ed up they wind up having sex with someone they don’t mean to.”
Platner later disavowed the comments on Oct. 17, saying they stemmed from his struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder. During an appearance on “Pod Save America,” he said Maine residents will “recognize that this is not at all the person that they have come to know, and come to interact with in reality.”
Despite this, Platner’s political director, former state Rep. Genevieve McDonald, resigned from his campaign over the posts, according to the Bangor Daily News.
Platner’s polling continues to show he has more support than Mills, who officially launched her campaign last week to unseat incumbent Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine). Nearly 60 percent of Maine Democrats supported Platner, whereas 24 percent said they would vote for Mills, and another 14 percent were undecided, according to poll results from the University of New Hampshire Survey Center.
Platner continues to see widespread support amid another controversy over a tattoo that resembled a Nazi skull symbol. His campaign has since confirmed he covered the tattoo earlier this week.
