Maine Senate candidate ends campaign after new allegations

A Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in Maine ended his campaign after a series of scandals. The candidate faced renewed scrutiny following published allegations of misconduct. The candidate had a tattoo of a symbol known as a Totenkopf. He said he did not know the meaning of the symbol and later covered it.

A woman told The New York Times that the candidate had referred to the tattoo by name and taught her what it meant.

Allegations surface The same New York Times article included statements from former partners about the candidate's conduct. One woman later told Politico that the candidate entered her home while intoxicated in 2021 and raped her. The candidate denied the allegation.

Several Democrats who had previously defended the candidate withdrew their support after the Politico report. The candidate had not received an endorsement from the mayor of New York City.

Shared staff connection The candidate's campaign and the mayor's administration shared a connection through one advisor. The advisor helped launch the candidate's campaign before joining the mayor's staff. The mayor had endorsed other progressive candidates in recent races but did not endorse this candidate.