Graham Platner Meets with Senate Democrats at DSCC

Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner met with several senators at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee offices in Washington on Tuesday while facing questions over sexually explicit text messages sent after his 2024 marriage and over older online posts. He did not respond when asked by a reporter whether he was there to calm concerns.

He also declined to answer questions about whether he would remain in the race or whether he deserves to represent Maine. Platner has acknowledged exchanging the explicit messages with multiple women after marrying his wife Amy Gertner. In a statement, he said the couple addressed the issue privately and that he is grateful for her support.

"Amy and I went through something hard — because of me. We did the work, and I’m grateful for her every hour of every day," Platner stated. Amy Gertner posted a video on X defending her husband and criticizing media focus on the messages rather than policy issues such as healthcare and education.

A profile on the Kik messaging app created in 2016 and still active shows a shirtless photo of Platner. A campaign official said the account was created when he was single and has since been deleted from his phone. Platner has also faced criticism over a 2019 Reddit post about another veteran and over a tattoo linked by critics to Nazi imagery.

Voters in Maine will choose the Democratic nominee on June 9. The winner will face Republican Sen. Susan Collins in November.