DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A newspaper reports three women have accused a Democratic state senator running for Iowa governor of sexual misconduct that includes inappropriate touching. The women told The Des Moines Register in a story published online Wednesday that Sen. Nate Boulton of Des Moines touched them inappropriately during separate incidents. One woman told the newspaper Boulton grabbed her buttocks at a bar in 2015. Two other women told the Register he rubbed himself against them more than a decade ago.

Boulton released a statement apologizing to the women and adding he would not “disqualify what these women felt at the time or in hindsight.” He indicated he had no plans to drop out of the race. Boulton is in a six-way race for the Democratic nomination for governor. Early voting for the June 5 primary began May 7.