Graham Platner says controversies have 'strengthened' his Maine Senate campaign

In an interview with NBC News, Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner bashed "establishment politics" and said he's still more electable than Democratic rival Janet Mills.

PORTLAND, Maine — In the last three weeks, Graham Platner has faced enough damaging revelations to potentially sink just about any candidate. The Democratic Senate hopeful has apologized for making offensive comments in past online posts, covered up a tattoo on his chest that has a Nazi association and lost top staff.

Yet Platner is still standing.

The 41-year-old oyster farmer and combat veteran spoke to a packed crowd at the State Theatre here on Sunday, counted at 745 attendees by his campaign, about his vision for “building power.”

“It is amusing for me to watch the campaign described in the media as collapsing or falling apart — when internally, we frankly have not felt this strong since the beginning,” Platner told NBC News after the event. “It hasn’t sunk my campaign. In fact it seems, in many ways, it’s strengthened us.”

A Platner rally Sunday in Portland, Maine.Brennan Leach / NBC NewsHe said that's because he has addressed his past head-on and not run from it.