Senate Candidate Denies Ex-Girlfriend's Allegations of Physical Restraint

An ex-girlfriend alleges that a Democratic U.S. Senate candidate grabbed her hard enough to leave marks, pulled her from a cab by the wrist, and once twisted her arm behind her back and held her in a room during their relationship more than a decade ago.

Lyndsey Fifield told The New York Times that the candidate never hit or punched her but that the incidents left her shaken. Fifield said she dated the candidate for about two years starting in 2013 when he was a student at George Washington University.

Another woman, Jenny Racicot, told the Times that the candidate came to her house drunk in 2021 after she had asked him not to visit. Racicot described the behavior as reckless and unsettling. The candidate issued a statement saying he takes responsibility for a dark period involving undiagnosed PTSD and alcohol use but called characterizations beyond that false and politically motivated.

The candidate has previously addressed reports of sexually explicit text messages sent while married and a skull tattoo he said he did not initially recognize as a Nazi symbol. Fifield told the Times the candidate joked about the tattoo being a Nazi symbol.

The candidate has denied knowing its meaning. High-profile backers including an independent Vermont senator have continued to support the candidate. A California congressman scheduled to appear with him called the described behavior wrong and toxic but noted the candidate has sought redemption.