Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner denied some of the new wave of allegations during an interview Thursday with MS NOW’s Chris Hayes, his first national interview following a New York Times report detailing his past relationships.

The interview came hours after the Times report detailed accounts from several women who had been romantically involved with Platner. The report, based on interviews with more than two dozen people, including six former romantic partners, described sharply different experiences with the Democrat.

“There are some allegations in this piece that I just want to be kind of unequivocal about, are simply not true. Anything alleging physicality, anything alleging that I knew what my tattoo was, these are the statements of someone who’s politically motivated,” Platner said to Hayes.

“In this piece, there’s a lot about my struggling, not being a good boyfriend, certainly self-medicating with alcohol, and I’ve been very upfront since the beginning of this campaign that that was a pretty dark period of my life after I came back from my combat service,” he said.

While some women interviewed by the Times portrayed him as a caring and supportive partner, others described volatile relationships and alleged “unsettling” and “toxic” behavior. One of the accusers includes Lyndsey Fifield, who has worked for GOP campaigns and conservative groups in Virginia. She told the Times that politics played no role in her decision to come forward.

Fifield recalled two specific incidents where she alleged Platner was physical with her in her interview with the Times. During one argument, Fifield said, Platner pulled her out of a taxicab by her wrist and against her will. Fifield also alleged in the Times that Platner twisted her arm behind her back, shoved her into a bedroom and kept the door closed, trapping her inside.

“She’s lying about that, that’s what you’re saying?,” Hayes asked Platner.

“Yes, that is not true,” he replied. 

The Times reviewed some of Fifield’s diary entries and spoke with two friends who confirmed the relationship was emotionally volatile but could not verify her allegations of physical altercations or other claims.

On MS NOW, Platner also denied allegations over a tattoo resembling the Nazi-linked “Totenkopf,” or death’s head symbol, which he has said he received during his military service without understanding its historical significance. He later had the tattoo removed and has repeatedly condemned Nazi ideology.

“I had that tattoo for 17 years. It’s a skull and crossbones,” Platner said. “Any statement saying that I did know is again totally false.”

Platner has recently faced scrutiny over reports that he exchanged sexually explicit text messages with multiple women while married. The messages, first reported last month, prompted questions from Democratic lawmakers and party leaders about whether additional allegations could emerge during the campaign. He has acknowledged sending the messages and apologized for his conduct. His wife, Amy Gertner, publicly defended him following the reports, criticizing the release of private communications and urging voters to focus on the issues facing Maine.

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“At the beginning of our marriage, I made mistakes, and Amy held me accountable for them, and we worked through them, and the work that we did made our marriage significantly stronger, and who we are today is an incredibly faithful and happy married couple,” Platner said.

Platner told Hayes he has been open and accountable when confronted with questions about his past conduct. He said he is not concerned about additional scrutiny of his past, arguing that any issues being raised occurred before he entered politics and are matters he has openly discussed.

“If people would like to continue to drag things up from that time in my life, I’m sure that we are going to see at some point somebody attempt to do exactly that. Just know that these are things that happened before I became a public figure,” Platner said.

The controversies come just days before Maine Democrats head to the polls to choose a nominee to challenge incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins.

The race is considered one of Democrats’ best pickup opportunities in 2026 and could play a pivotal role in determining control of the Senate. Republicans hold a narrow majority, and Democrats view Collins’ seat as one of the few GOP-held seats in a state won by Democrats at the presidential level, making the contest a top national target.

Platner remains the front-runner in the race and has continued to receive support from prominent Senate Democrats after meeting privately with lawmakers in Washington on Tuesday.

Despite the scrutiny, Platner said he does not regret launching his campaign.

Asked by Hayes if he has considered dropping out of the race in the past week, Platner responded, “No, not once.”