Democrats’ Senate Ambitions Hit by Graham Platner Sexting Controversy
Campaign officials say the messages were flagged by Platner’s wife last year, deepening concerns in a race Democrats see as pivotal for Senate control.
- Democrats are grappling with latest revelations about Graham Platner, the presumptive Democratic nominee set to face Sen. Susan Collins, after reports that Platner's wife flagged his past sexual text messages to campaign staff last year.
- Beyond the messaging allegations, Platner faced backlash for a since-covered tattoo resembling a Nazi symbol and past online comments where he called himself a "communist" and dismissed police as "bastards," which he later disavowed.
- Amy Gertner, Platner's wife, said Saturday she was "deeply hurt" by the public disclosure of her husband's messages, while former campaign political director Genevieve McDonald confirmed the campaign evaluated the matter as a potential political liability last year.
- Democratic Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey expressed "concerns" on Sunday, saying "that guy has questions to answer," while Sen. Chris Murphy argued voters will see a clear contrast between Platner and Collins on protecting democracy.
- Despite these controversies, Platner led Collins by 9 points in a University of New Hampshire poll released last week, having become the presumptive nominee after Maine Gov. Janet Mills dropped out ahead of the June 9 primary.
55 Articles
55 Articles
Can The Democratic Party Have Their Candidates' Backs Just This Once?
Graham Platner is, or was, a lousy husband. He was sexting with other women in the early days of his marriage. He and his wife, as she noted in a video over the weekend, are in marriage counseling, and are looking into fertility treatments in order to have a baby. They're trying to make the marriage work. It was Platner's wife who brought the texts to the campaign's attention. That happened last fall. For some reason, this story broke now, more …
Democrats Rally Around Scandal-Plagued Candidate Despite Troubling Allegations
In a state marked by political noise and controversy, Graham Platner’s Senate campaign in Maine is at a critical juncture. As he prepares for the Democratic primary on June 9, Platner is wrestling with significant scandals. A closed-door meeting on Tuesday with Democratic senators saw some members rallying around him. Despite the hurdles, they conveyed a sense of optimism for the candidate’s future. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand expressed clear con…
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