Three of Democratic Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner's ex-girlfriends recalled "unsettling" behavior from their time with him and described him as anti-women as Maine voters grapple with reports that he allegedly exchanged sexually explicit text messages with several women early in his marriage.

Platner is considered the frontrunner for the Democratic nomination for Senate as voters head to the polls for the primary next week.

The women, who were all romantically involved with the veteran, described their relationships as volatile and “toxic” that were unsettling and sometimes emotionally wrenching in interviews with the New York Times. They described him as charming and charismatic but also allegedly demeaning to women.

One ex-girlfriend, identified as Republican 40-year-old Lyndsey Fifield, said that he had even been physically intimidating toward her but was never physically violent, noting he “never hit me, he never punched me.”

Fifield said she could tell he was dealing with the aftermath of his military service and had a history of heavy drinking and womanizing behavior while they dated. But during those drinking periods he could be rough with her, even allegedly regularly grabbing her by the shoulders. He also allegedly yanked her out of the car by the wrist once.

The candidate has strongly denied allegations of physical intimidation or altercations, his campaign told the outlet.

Platner has admitted that he was "far from a perfect boyfriend" who self-medicated with alcohol but denied physical intimidation.

“I take responsibility for all of that, and wish I had been better,” he said. “Any characterization beyond that is false, and I believe, politically motivated. I’m not proud of who I was then, but I am proud of the work I’ve done since, and the movement we are building in Maine.”

The candidate also dismissed Fifield's allegations as politically motivated, noting her party affiliation. But Fifield denied a connection to the campaign of Republican Sen. Susan Collins. 

“I know it looks like a bitter ex-girlfriend Republican trying to take down a Democrat — it has nothing to do with that,” Fifield said. “If he was running as a Republican, I would be doing this exact same thing.”

Another ex-girlfriend Jenny Racicot, a Democrat, did not provide a lot of details on her relationship with the candidate, but described his behavior as "reckless" and "unsettling." She ended the relationship in 2021 after he showed up drunk at her house. 

She also confirmed in a comment to the New York Times that reports of his anti-women posts were in line with her memory of him, though she did have positive memories as well. 

“I was like, that makes sense,” she said. “This person does not respect women.”

The third person was not identified in the story but said she had a long-distance relationship with Platner and summed up her relationship with him as feeling like “collateral damage to the world that is his.”

Other ex-girlfriends have described the candidate in a positive light, noting he was responsible, intelligent and supportive. One said she did witness "potentially problematic behavior" when dating him but that she felt "really safe with him." 

The Democratic primary is scheduled to take place on June 9. Maine Gov. Janet Mills is also seeking the Democratic nomination. She suspended her campaign earlier this year, but reminded voters this week that she is still on the ballot. 

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.