Maine Democratic Senate Frontrunner Graham Platner Faces Scrutiny Over Past Personal Conduct

The Wall Street Journal and New York Times reported that Graham Platner exchanged sexually explicit texts with at least a half-dozen women while married. His wife discovered the messages and reported them to the campaign during its vetting process. Platner released a video on Saturday in which his wife, Amy Gertner, called it "really shameful" that outlets would focus on the texts instead of covering the issues Platner is running on.

Platner has also faced questions over old Reddit posts downplaying rape and insulting Black people, as well as a tattoo of a Nazi symbol he had inked on his chest in 2007. He covered up the tattoo last year after becoming a candidate. Platner apologized for his Reddit writings, calling them crude and indefensible, and said he had not known the tattoo was a widely recognized Nazi symbol.

Maine Gov. Janet Mills dropped out of the Democratic primary in late April after polls showed her losing badly to Platner. A late May survey by the University of New Hampshire had Platner up 9 points against Republican Sen.

Susan Collins. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, who was previously all-in for Mills, has backed Platner. Rep. Jake Auchincloss said on CNN last week that he finds Platner's tattoo and his commentary about it to be personally disqualifying.

Sen. Cory Booker told ABC News on Sunday that he has concerns about Platner and that the candidate has questions to answer. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's former chief of staff Saikat Chakrabarti accused Rep.

Jake Auchincloss of endorsing Susan Collins.