Allegations surrounding Maine Democrat Senate candidate Graham Platner were a "deal breaker" for many voters in his bid to unseat Sen. Susan Collins, according to state Rep. Steve Bishop on Tuesday.
"People that were on the fence or had any sort of inclination that this was even an option based on his youth or passion or whatever you want to call it, were instantly dismayed and thrown out by the premise of his predatory nature towards women," the Maine Republican said on Newsmax's "Wake Up America Early." "That was the deal breaker."
Asked why some Democrats continue to support Platner despite allegations that he sent explicit text messages and controversy surrounding a tattoo associated with Nazi imagery, Bishop said it has "got to be the noise and the passion."
"He's out there every day and is creating so much noise to overpower his agenda," he said. "If anybody says anything, it's quickly overpowered by something else that they come up with on the next angle."
He added that questions directed at the candidate are often avoided.
"If a question has come to them directly, then it's quickly skirted by a whole other subject matter or a whole other topic that they want you to be aware of," Bishop said. "It's just shocking to me how hypocritical they are being."
The discussion also turned to President Donald Trump's endorsements in congressional races and their impact in Maine.
Bishop said endorsements from Trump do not carry the same influence in Maine that they might elsewhere in the country.
He noted that Maine's electorate is divided among independents, Republicans, and Democrats and that many voters are more focused on economic concerns than national political battles.
"A lot of Mainers have just decided to tune it out," Bishop said. "We're getting crushed here economically so bad that no matter what decision is made right or left, we feel it in our wallets so bad that any endorsement on a federal level is going to bring some sort of controversy."
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