Matt Dunlap, the Maine State Auditor who is running for Congress in the state's 2nd Congressional District, appears to finally be trying to distance himself from disgraced Graham Platner, despite Platner's troubling and well-known history that includes his Nazi tattoo, allegations of domestic abuse and rape, the profile on a social media app known to be used by predators, Platner's confession he pleasures himself in porta-potties, and his views on police and rural voters.
The problems with Platner's campaign came almost from the outset, but it wasn't until last week that Democrats gave Platner the boot from the race. They did it not because of Platner's behavior, either. For weeks, they openly defended and dismissed all of these offenses. They only kicked Platner out of the race when they realized he would lose to Susan Collins.
That includes Dunlap himself, who recently stood by Platner despite the allegations, saying he'd make a 'good Senator.'
GROSS: Maine Democrat Matt Dunlap says he still supports Graham Platner, exposed for his Nazi tattoo, cheating on his wife & using a notorious "predator's paradise" app.@dunlap4congress says he thinks this makes for “a good senator.” pic.twitter.com/KQ2yM445r7
— NRCC (@NRCC) June 1, 2026
Now that Platner's campaign ship has sunk, Dunlap is hoping not to have his pulled down with it.
Dunlap spoke to CBS News and blamed the fiasco on the fact that Platner wasn't 'well-vetted' and even seemed to feel bad for Platner.
Maine Democrat Congressional candidate Matt Dunlap suggests he feels bad for Graham Platner.
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) July 15, 2026
CBS: "Do you personally feel deceived? Because you endorsed him."
DUNLAP: "Deceived is a strong word...I think Graham Platner may have deceived himself." pic.twitter.com/sLJg3uORL8
"Well, it's hard to say, because we've been very focused on our race," Dunlap said. "But I think what it really boiled down to is that Graham Platner was not well-vetted. He knew his background, I think maybe he thought those things would not matter very much."
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"When I first ran for office, I had thought back on my own lifetime, and turned out my life's been pretty boring," he continued. "I don't have any of the same challenges that Mr. Platner's had. When all these revelations really exploded on the scene about a week ago, we called on him to step down from the race. He has done that, and now they're going through the process to replace him."
When Major Garrett asked Dunlap if he felt deceived by Platner, Dunlap replied, "Well, deceived is a strong word. I think maybe if anybody was deceived there, I think Graham Platner may have deceived himself. We just didn't know. We didn't know what his background consisted of. He was talking about the same issues that I've been talking about: about healthcare for all, Medicare for All, the affordability crisis, and how the playing field has been tilted against working families now over the last 50 years. We shared that message and something that I've seen get worse over the last 30 or 40 years, not get better. So in terms of Mr. Platner, he's out of the race, he's not part of the campaign anymore. And I think it's sort of a lesson for us is to stay focused and disciplined on what we're hearing from people and staying focused on bringing those solutions to their doorsteps."
But is this true?
Will voters buy this?
And can Dunlap distance himself from Platner enough to save his race?
The answer to all those questions seems to be a resounding no.
As Townhall reported at the end of June, numerous Democrats warned Dunlap against running for the seat being vacated by the popular Democrat Rep. Jared Golden. A source close to the DCCC said Golden not being on the ballot 'could risk the seat,' and Golden himself said that Republican Paul LePage would beat Dunlap in November. Political analyst Drew Savicki also slammed Dunlap's campaign, saying, 'Golden is the only Democrat who can hold that seat.'
The latest FEC filing proves that National Democrats are giving up on Dunlap's campaign, too, with Dunlap just bringing in $272,000. Dunlap was not the Democrats' choice for this Congressional race, and it shows.
The FEC filing also lists a donation to Dunlap from Platner's father, Bronson Platner, in the amount of $3,500. That was made on June 29, weeks after accusations alleging Graham Platner was abusive towards a former girlfriend were published in the New York Times, and long after all the other news of Platner's problematic behavior was made public. Dunlap has received a total of $7,000 from Bronson Platner, and—as of today—has not returned any of it. Does that sound like a campaign that's actually distancing itself from Graham Platner?
Despite these concerns, Dunlap forged ahead with his campaign and has not put much daylight between himself and Platner. This comes after a former girlfriend said Graham Platner was aware of his Nazi tattoo years ago (but didn't cover it up until after he started his campaign). Lyndsey Fifield also came forward and said Platner was physically abusive during their relationship, including an incident where he 'twisted her arm behind her back,' pushed her in a bedroom, and kept her there overnight. Platner also blamed rape victims, saying they needed to act like adults, and his wife, Amy, confessed that Platner had 'sexually explicit' texts to other women on his phone. Yet another ex said Platner's degrading remarks about women were not surprising, and that Platner 'does not respect women.' There were also revelations during the campaign that Platner would pleasure himself in porta potties and found 'soul-filling joy' in explicit sexual imagery. Platner even confessed he would rape someone who broke into his house, but 'not in a gay way,' to assert dominance.
Platner also had a profile on the social media app called Kik, which is known as a 'predator's paradise,' and was problematic as far back as at least 2017, according to this CBS report. He also trashed police, called rural voters racist, and labeled himself a communist. Yet Dunlap continued standing with Platner, sometimes literally, as this image published in Axios shows. Dunlap was not bothered by the Nazi imagery, the abuse of women, or Platner's despicable views on police and rural voters, but he is bothered by the prospect of losing in November.
"Matt Dunlap is not only still standing with an alleged rapist and Nazi-lover, but he's also being bankrolled by his family members," said NRCC Spokeswoman Maureen O'Tolle. "Dunlap's continued embrace of Graham Platner is sick, and it will not go unnoticed by Mainers in November."
Editor’s Note: The 2026 Midterms will determine the fate of President Trump’s America First agenda. Republicans must maintain control of both chambers of Congress.
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