WASHINGTON – Sen. Jeff Flake – one of the potential swing votes on Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to the Supreme Court – called on his colleagues Wednesday to have an open mind about the allegations against Kavanaugh and to recognize that both Kavanaugh and his accuser are human beings.

The Arizona Republican said he doesn't believe Kavanaugh is "some kind of serial sexual predator."

Nor does he think Christine Blasey Ford is part of a vast conspiracy to smear him.

Instead, he called them "unwitting combatants in an undeclared war."

“These are human beings with families and children," Flake said on the Senate floor. "“Each is suffering through a very ugly process that we have created.”

Flake disclosed that he's received a death threat from a man who called his Arizona office to say he is tired of Flake "interrupting our president." Because Flake was insisting that the committee hear from Ford, he and his family would be "taken out."

"I mention this with reluctance, but only to say that we have lit a match, my colleagues," Flake said. "The question is, do we appreciate how close the powderkeg is?"

The nomination got more explosive Wednesday when a third woman made allegations against Kavanaugh.

Julie Swetnick, a client of attorney Michael Avenatti, alleged in a signed statement released Wednesday that Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh would drink to excess and "engage in abusive behavior" toward teenage girls while he was in high school.

A second woman, Deborah Ramirez, has alleged that Kavanaugh exposed himself to her while they were freshmen at Yale University.

Ford has said that Kavanaugh held her down and tried to remove her clothes while they were both in high school.

Kavanaugh has vehemently denied their allegations.

Flake did not address the allegations made by Swetnick and Ramirez.

He had been one of the first Republicans to call for the Senate Judiciary Committee to delay a vote until hearing from Kavanaugh and Ford.

He called the charges disqualifying, if true.

But Wednesday Flake acknowledged the likelihood that there "will be no definitive answers to the very large questions before us."

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Wednesday that Kavanaugh should withdraw from consideration. If he won't, Schumer said, Thursday's hearing should be postponed while the FBI investigates all the allegations against him.

Republicans have not announced any change to Thursday's scheduled hearing of the Judiciary Committee. Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley, left open the possibility that the committee may not vote Friday to advance the nomination of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh as previously planned. He said he will make no decisions until the hearing is concluded.

Flake is a member of the committee, where Republicans have an 11-10 majority. No Democrat on the committee is expected to vote for Kavanaugh, so if Republicans want to send him to the Senate floor with a favorable recommendation, they all need to vote "yes."

The nomination could still proceed if Flake votes against Kavanaugh in committee, but it would likely be labeled as unfavorable.

Republicans have a narrow 51-49 majority in the Senate and need at least 50 votes in order for Kavanaugh to be confirmed.

Contributing: William Petroski, Des Moines Register.