Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) stepped forward Sunday to publicly defend Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner amid a growing wave of personal controversies.
The Connecticut Democrat said he had not followed the sexting story as closely as other controversies surrounding the candidate.
A new report had surfaced alleging that Platner sent sexually explicit messages to women other than his wife, adding to an already turbulent campaign.
Despite the damaging nature of the allegations, Murphy stopped short of withdrawing his support for the Maine Democrat.
Murphy acknowledged that Platner had made what he characterized as mistakes in his personal life, but maintained his backing nonetheless.
The senator argued that Platner remained the strongest candidate to challenge incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins in Maine.
Collins, a long-serving senator, has been a frequent target for Democratic challengers seeking to flip her seat in recent election cycles.
Murphy’s defense came on a Sunday, suggesting Democrats are working quickly to contain the political fallout from the latest revelations about Platner.
The sexting allegations represent just one in a string of controversies that have surrounded the Maine Senate candidate during his campaign.
It remains to be seen whether Murphy’s public backing will be enough to steady Platner’s campaign as the controversies continue to mount ahead of the race against Collins.