Sen. Susan Collins’s (R-ME) campaign and allied Republican groups launched a series of television ads this week targeting Democratic Senate nominee Graham Platner, signaling that his past comments and controversies will be a central focus of the general election campaign.

The ads, released shortly after Platner secured the Democratic nomination in Maine’s Tuesday primary, highlight the mounting controversies Platner has faced throughout his primary campaign.

One ad focuses on comments Platner allegedly made about rural Mainers and law enforcement. The spot features voters criticizing Platner for remarks they viewed as insulting to rural residents and dismissive of police officers, arguing that he lacks respect for both communities.

“Graham Platner has no respect for law enforcement,” the voter in the ad said. “Graham Platner said some law enforcement are absolutely terrible people. Graham Plattner, you got it absolutely wrong. It disgusts me. Grand Platinum would be a big embarrassment for me.”

A second ad highlights past comments about sexual assault. The ad features remarks made in since-deleted social media posts attributed to Platner. The posts, which resurfaced in October, included comments suggesting women should “not get so fed up they wind up having sex with someone they don’t mean to.” Another post said that women should “act like an adult for f’s sake” to avoid rape.

“Who says something like that?” A woman said in the ad, after reading the posts. “What’s wrong with this guy?”

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