By Nolan D. McCaskill and Richard Cowan
WASHINGTON, June 2 (Reuters) – Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said on Tuesday that he met with Graham Platner, the party’s leading Senate candidate from Maine who has battled a string of controversies ahead of next week’s primary election.
“I have endorsed Graham Platner. We are going to beat Susan Collins and take back the Senate,” Schumer said at a news conference, declining to comment further.
Platner, a former Marine and oyster farmer, is expected to win the June 9 Democratic nomination to take on Collins, the incumbent Republican senator. The race is seen as a must-win for Democrats to take control of the Senate in the November midterm elections. Republicans currently hold a 53-47 majority in the chamber.
Several news outlets have reported that Platner sent sexually explicit texts to multiple women in the latest controversy to hit his populist campaign, following revelations of controversial internet posts and a tattoo that resembled a Nazi insignia. Platner has apologized for the posts and has said he did not know the tattoo had Nazi links and has since gotten it covered up. Platner’s campaign did not respond to a request for comment.
His top rival, Governor Janet Mills, suspended her campaign in April but told local media on Monday that her name was still on the ballot. Schumer had initially backed Mills.
Platner, who was not at Schumer’s news conference, also was due to hold fundraisers while in Washington, according to Politico.
(Reporting by Nolan D. McCaskill and Richard Cowan; editing by Andy Sullivan and Nia Williams)
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