Graham Platner’s Senate campaign has been marred with missteps since he launched his run against Sen. Susan Collins.
While Maine Democrat Graham Platner wished Jews a “Shana Tova” this week, a local pro-Hitler, pro-Palestinian candidate for Bangor City Council bragging about how the two of them “have alot in common” threatens to undercut that message.
In a now-deleted Facebook post — obtained exclusively by the Washington Reporter — Richard Ward posted a picture of him with Platner in which Ward is wearing a black t-shirt with “88” emblazoned on it. 88 is commonly used by neo-Nazis to refer to “Heil Hitler,” and Ward has “well-documented history of provocative political actions that use neo-Nazi and white supremacist rhetoric,” according to the Bangor Daily News.
Ward and Platner have “alot in common [sic],” the controversial candidate wrote.
The Daily News added that “Ward has displayed white supremacist symbols, including imagery of Adolf Hitler.”
Ward’s habit of taking pictures with political candidates and law enforcement officials has caused others problems in the past. Earlier this week, Bangor police officers found themselves in hot water for taking a picture with Ward.
Platner’s campaign told the Reporter that “Graham promptly told Richard to fuck off and get the fuck away, like he would tell any nazi scum.”
While many of the far-left have hailed Platner’s nascent campaign, it has also been marred by a series of rookie mistakes. Following coverage by the Reporter, Platner already changed his tune on fundraising texts.
Perhaps due to Platner’s struggles, Democrats remain optimistic that Gov. Janet Mills (D., Maine) will reconsider her opposition to mounting another statewide bid. The 77-year-old Democrat is reportedly weighing a run against the popular Sen. Susan Collins (R., Maine).