GOP senators criticize Graham Platner as Democrats stay silent

Republican senators sharply criticized Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner on Friday as questions around his campaign continued to grow ahead of Tuesday’s Democratic primary. Sen. Ted Cruz said it was troubling that Senate Democrats were backing a candidate he described as a selfdescribed communist with a Nazi tattoo. Other Republicans, including Sens. Bill Hagerty and Tommy Tuberville, also argued that Platner is unfit to represent Maine. Several Democrats declined to give a direct answer when asked whether they still supported Platner. Some said the decision should be left to Maine voters, while others said they had not been following the race closely. Platner has faced a series of controversies in recent weeks, including allegations related to past relationships and earlier reports about social media posts and other behavior. Despite the backlash, he remains the frontrunner in the Democratic primary, and prominent Democrats such as Bernie Sanders and Chuck Schumer have continued to support him.