Maine Senate hopeful Platner apologizes for old Nazi-symbol tattoo

Graham Platner, a Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate from Maine, apologized after a decades-old chest tattoo that resembles a Nazi symbol resurfaced online and said he has had it covered. The image, visible in an old shirtless video that drew attention this week, touched off criticism as Platner seeks his party’s nomination to challenge Republican Susan Collins for her long-held Senate seat.

Platner said the tattoo dates to 2007, when he was serving in the U.S. Marine Corps and on leave in Split, Croatia. He told reporters he and other Marines chose a skull-and-crossbones design from a wall art display during a night of drinking. He said he was unaware the design resembled insignia tied to Nazi paramilitary forces until it was pointed out by others. He said he initially planned to remove the ink but, because of limited options where he lives, opted to have it covered with a different tattoo so the image would no longer convey the contested symbol.

The candidate, an oyster farmer and military veteran who later served in the Army and worked on a security detail for a U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan, defended his record while acknowledging the harm the image caused. "I am not...