Rep. Jake Auchincloss (D-Mass.) refused to back Democrats’ leading candidate in the Maine Senate race, citing Graham Platner’s controversial tattoo resembling a Nazi symbol.

“I’ve been clear about Graham Platner. I find that tattoo and his commentary about it to be personally disqualifying,” Auchincloss, who is Jewish, told CNN’s Boris Sanchez on Monday.

“I hope Maine voters agree with me,” he continued. “I think it would be a mistake for the Democratic Party to think that Graham Platner’s brand of the Democratic Party is what wins us durable majorities throughout this country.”

The candidate said he covered up the chest tattoo after receiving criticism that it resembled a Totenkopf, a symbol adopted by Adolf Hitler’s troops in Nazi Germany.

Platner explained last October that he was not aware of this link and first heard about it from “reporters and D.C. insiders.”

“I absolutely would not have gone through life having this on my chest if I knew that — and to insinuate that I did is disgusting. I am already planning to get this removed,” he added at the time.

The Senate hopeful has also faced criticism over posts he made several years ago on the social platform Reddit, where he called himself a “communist” and police officers “bastards.”

Platner told “Pod Save America” in an episode last fall that the posts were intended to “get a rise out of people” and did not reflect his true beliefs at the time.

The U.S. Army veteran-turned-oyster farmer is widely expected to win the state’s Democratic primary on June 9, after which he will compete in the November election against incumbent Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine).

When asked whether he could support Platner to oust the GOP senator, Auchincloss said “values and principles always come before party.”

“We saw Republicans forget that lesson with Donald Trump in 2016 and how much damage it’s done to the country,” he said. “I will never forget that lesson.”

Auchincloss’s comment drew pushback from Saikat Chakrabarti, a Democratic candidate for California’s 11th House District.

“Jake Auchincloss is essentially endorsing Susan Collins in Maine,” Chakrabarti, the former chief of staff for Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez (D-N.Y.) and campaign staffer for Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-Vt.), wrote in a social media post on Monday. “Absolutely no excuse for a Democrat in the House to back a Republican for Senate in a crucial swing seat.

“Auchincloss should be primaried,” Chakrabarti added.

Auchincloss added in the CNN interview that he is a “proud Democrat,” citing his support for Democrats’ Senate candidate in Texas, state Rep. James Talarico.

“He’s a fellow majority Democrat, which is a group of elected officials at the vanguard of reinventing this party,” Auchincloss said.

Talarico won the state’s Democratic primary on March 3 over Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas), and he will face the winner of the GOP primary in November. Incumbent Sen. John Cornyn is competing against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who is backed by President Trump, in a runoff race on Tuesday for the GOP ticket.

Auchincloss expressed confidence in Talarico’s chances in the midterm race.

“We’re going to see Talarico win, whether it’s Paxton or Cornyn,” he told CNN.

Updated at 11:41 a.m. EDT

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