Platner’s Sex Scandal Rocks Maine Senate Campaign

Democrat Graham Platner’s Maine Senate campaign has hit a major obstacle with a sexting scandal, threatening Democrats’ efforts to regain control of the chamber.

On Saturday, the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal reported that Platner’s wife had previously flagged as a potential liability to campaign staff that she had learned her husband had sent sexually explicit text messages to multiple women early on in their marriage.

Platner has not denied having sent sexual messages but has questioned the motives of the press.

“These people are gonna try to make this race about anything but what it’s supposed to be about, which is policy,” Platner told reporters on Sunday.

 “Amy and I have a very loving and very happy marriage. They would very much like to try to rip that apart. They’re going to come after us in every awful way that they possibly can,” he added.

Platner is challenging Republican incumbent Sen. Susan Collins.

The New York Times reported that a former campaign aide claimed Amy Platner had said her husband sent sexual messages to up to a dozen women. The campaign said that it was up to six.

The Wall Street Journal also reported on an account on the messaging app Kik, which has a profile picture that appears to show Platner semi-nude in front of a bathroom mirror.

 The torso shown in the picture bears tattoos matching Platner’s, and the account has a username he has used elsewhere.

The scandal is not Platner’s first.

Platner has come under fire for controversial online forum posts in which he said women should “act like an adult” to avoid rape and ridiculed rural white voters and black people. 

In another resurfaced post, Platner said a wounded American serviceman was a “Dumb motherf— [who] didn’t deserve to live.” 

Platner did not apologize for the comment, telling Fox News, “Any attempt to say that I disrespect veterans is slanderous and offensive.”

Platner has also faced criticism for having had a tattoo that resembled the German Totenkopf symbol associated with Nazi Germany. 

Platner has claimed to have been unaware of the tattoo’s historical associations and has since had it covered. Platner has asked voters to look past his online history, saying, “I’m asking you not to judge me for the worst thing I said on the internet on my worst day 14 years ago.”

Platner’s new scandal comes after his top Democrat competitor, Gov. Janet Mills, dropped out of the primary, citing a lack of funds. She trailed Platner by double digits in multiple polls of Democrat voters.

Platner’s campaign strategist, Morris Katz, lashed out at the reporting.

“It’s no one’s f—ing business what happened in Graham & Amy’s marriage before he was ever a candidate for office,” Katz wrote Saturday on X.

Katz advised the successful campaign of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

Katz added, “There should be no place in our politics for incompetent, opportunistic operatives who violate privacy, betray trust, and prioritize vengeance over decency.”

Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J. expressed mild concerns about the story and its implications for Democrats on Sunday.

“Yeah, I have concerns. That guy has questions to answer, and that’s what campaigns are for,” Booker said.