\n<\/p>\n
Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner referred to Jesus as a \u201czombie\u201d and the Virgin Mary as a \u201cskank\u201d in a resurfaced Reddit post from 2012.<\/p>\n
Platner has already faced scrutiny for past comments made on the social media platform over a decade ago, which he has apologized for, as it\u2019s become the subject of campaign advertisements from his primary opposition, Gov. Janet Mills.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve spent 8 years in the infantry, Marine Corps, and Army, and I\u2019ve been about as crudely atheist as one can be the entire time (zombie jesus jokes and Mary sucking at covering up being a skank, as examples),\u201d Platner wrote at the time, according to a screenshot posted on X by conservative political strategist Greg Price<\/a> on Wednesday.<\/p>\n Republicans criticized Platner\u2019s comments, which resurfaced just days before Easter Sunday.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen someone shows you who they are, believe them, and just in time for Easter the guy with a Nazi tattoo is showing us his truly disgusting and repulsive takes on Christianity,\u201d Samantha Cantrell, spokeswoman for the National Republican Campaign Committee, said in a statement.<\/p>\n \u201cThis SHOULD be disqualifying but Maine\u2019s leftist base has given Platner a pass on literally everything,\u201d the Maine Republican Party<\/a> posted to X. \u201cNow this. But the left will love him more.\u201d<\/p>\n The Daily Wire<\/a> reported that Mills took aim at Platner\u2019s past comments regarding rape in a March commercial, specifically when he wrote in 2013 that women should \u201cact like an adult for f*** sake\u201d and \u201cnot get so f***ed up they wind up having sex with someone they don\u2019t mean to.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s a horrible thing to say,\u201d one woman said in the ad.<\/p>\n Platner responded to Mills\u2019 attack ad by acknowledging the inappropriate nature of his comments.<\/p>\n \u201cBack in October, when my past internet comments resurfaced, I read through them. I was horrified and did not recognize the man on the other side of the posts,\u201d Platner<\/a> wrote on X at the time. \u201cI shared my thoughts and apologies here directly with Mainers. And I\u2019ve been talking with Mainers every day since, at town halls across the state.\u201d<\/p>\n Whoever wins the primary will take on Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) in the competitive general election contest, which could ultimately play a role in determining which party controls the Senate.<\/p>\n Despite the controversies surrounding Platner, including over a now-covered Nazi symbol tattoo, Platner is still maintaining a strong standing in the race, racking up endorsements from Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren.<\/p>\n