PORTLAND, Maine - Graham Platner, the upstart Democratic contender for Senate in Maine, is set to stage his initial large-scale rally Friday evening while fresh accounts surface regarding his past interactions with women.

His team managed fallout last weekend from explicit messages sent to multiple women during his marriage. On Thursday the New York Times detailed accounts from earlier partners, some of whom spoke favorably while others portrayed him as unpredictable and harsh.

One individual claimed Platner grabbed her arm in a dispute and confined her to a space. He rejected the claim as false.

With the Maine primary set for Tuesday and Democrats eager to unite behind a nominee capable of unseating Republican Sen. Susan Collins in the fall, few voters or allies appear ready to abandon Platner, who has presented himself as someone with flaws who has moved forward.

Some treated the texting reports as a personal issue best left to the couple alone. Others stressed that reclaiming Senate control from Republicans outweighs concerns over imperfect nominees.

They also weigh whether additional troubling details about Platner might surface before November.

"I think a lot of people are afraid," said Deb Dagnan, chair of Maine's Piscataquis County Democrats. "They're waiting for the other shoe to drop after he gets the nomination. Then what do we do?"

Platner remains central to Democratic efforts to regain the Senate. He has dealt with repeated controversies including a now-covered tattoo of a Nazi symbol, past inflammatory online remarks, and the recent texting reports.

Still, his leading backers including Sens. Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren and Ruben Gallego have stayed supportive. Platner will join progressive Rep. Ro Khanna of California plus Democratic hopefuls for House and governor at a get-out-the-vote event in Bar Harbor on Friday night.

The gathering occurs days before the June 9 primary, where Platner is poised to win the nomination after Gov. Janet Mills ended her bid in late April.

He faces renewed attention over reports that he and his wife Amy Gertner experienced marital strain and pursued counseling following the alleged messages. The Wall Street Journal noted Gertner informed the campaign in August about the exchanges she found last year to check for risks. The team reportedly viewed them as private matters handled by the couple, who wed in 2023.

Genevieve McDonald, a former Platner staffer, told the Associated Press the candidate was "sexting multiple women while married" and the campaign evaluated it as a potential vulnerability.

Soon after the reports, Platner shared a five-minute video recorded by Gertner. She did not address the messages directly but labeled the coverage "gossip" and noted "being married is hard."

Gertner's remarks on addressing their marriage have struck a chord with some women who view the matter as one between spouses and criticize the former aide for breaching trust.

"It's none of my business as far as I'm concerned," said Joanne Mason, a local Democratic leader from south-central Maine. "And I would hope that people wouldn't judge any one person on their own private marriage."

Valerie Tate, a Democrat from Belfast, called Gertner's openness about working on their mental health and relationship admirable.

"That is not a scandal," Tate wrote in an email. "That is integrity. Personal growth is not a disqualification from public life. For many of us, it is precisely what made us worthy of it."

Tate added that uncertainty lingers because more about Platner's background could still emerge and prove problematic for voters.

"Of course, there is that concern as there would be in any race with somebody we don't know all the dramas and the journeys they've been on," she wrote. "Something could come out that would be disqualifying."

Platner has faced earlier questions about his history. He covered a tattoo identified as a Nazi symbol after launching his run.

He stated he did not grasp its meaning, yet a former girlfriend told the Times he joked about it being a Nazi symbol and referred to it as "my Totenkopf."

Attention has also focused on his old Reddit posts that downplayed military sexual assaults and included homophobic language, remarks for which he has apologized.

Platner has never held office and has run a direct, progressive, populist campaign centered on income inequality, health care access and housing costs. He has drawn large crowds and raised millions to support his message.

"People want somebody new," said Paige Zeigler, a former Maine Democratic lawmaker and head of the Waldo County Democrats, explaining his continued strength. "They want somebody that they feel that they can embrace. And Platner is riding that wave."

Kruesi reported from Providence, Rhode Island.