Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner faces mounting scrutiny after reports that he allegedly exchanged sexually explicit texts with multiple women. The development represents the latest blow to a campaign that party leaders had counted on to flip the Republican-held seat of Senator Susan Collins.
With the Maine primary nine days away and the Senate race in play, two prominent Democrats who appeared on Sunday television maintained their distance from Platner without abandoning him.
“Yes, I have concerns,” Senator Cory Booker, D-N.J., told ABC’s “This Week” when asked about potential damage to Democratic hopes. “That guy has questions to answer.”
Senator Andy Kim, D-N.J., declined direct comment but stated: “I will work with whoever the people of Maine elect, but I hope that they elect somebody that is going to stand up to this president.”
On CBS’s “Face the Nation,” Senator Chris Murphy, D-Conn., defended Platner’s record while acknowledging his mistakes. “Graham Platner served our country and his community, he has made mistakes—admitting as much himself.”
According to a campaign aide, Platner’s wife, Amy Gertner, reported finding sexually explicit messages on her husband’s phone in the spring of last year. The couple, who married in 2023, stated they are currently in marriage counseling.
In response, Gertner described the coverage as “gossip” and expressed that she felt angry and disappointed that outlets were focusing on their marriage rather than her husband’s platform on healthcare, childcare, and education.
A separate investigation confirmed an active Kik account linked to Platner’s name on the encrypted messaging app, which he later deleted from his phone but did not deactivate.
A University of New Hampshire Pine Tree State Poll conducted May 21-25 showed Platner leading Collins 51% to 42% among likely voters before the scandal surfaced.
