United States | News & Politics

KITTERY, Maine (AP) — There are lots of questions about Graham Platner, a first-time Democratic candidate running for U.S. Senate in Maine. Now they are also part of a trivia game.

“What was the nature of the controversy of Graham’s tattoo he received while in the Marines?” an emcee recently asked at a local community center.

The answer? “It was claimed to be a Neo-Nazi tattoo (totenkopf).”

This was not a new way of delivering opposition research, but an official campaign event for Platner’s supporters. And it showed how the 41-year-old oyster farmer and military veteran has capitalized on voters’ willingness to forgive past transgressions and embrace a populist message.