Democratic senators who met with Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner in a closed-door session on Tuesday downplayed the controversies surrounding his campaign, with some expressing optimism about his prospects.
Platner was in Washington, D.C., for an urgent visit as he faced scrutiny due to allegations related to a sexting scandal and previously posted content, just a week ahead of the June 9 primary.
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) told reporters outside the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee building that she remained confident in Platner’s chances. “I’m very confident that we’ll win Maine,” she stated when asked about her support for him.
Gillibrand further affirmed her belief in Platner, saying, “I’m confident. I’m confident we’ll win against Maine, there’s no doubt in my mind.”
Sen. Bernie Sanders also defended Platner, pointing out the significant amount of money being spent on attacking Democratic candidates in Maine. “All I can say is that the wealthiest people in this country have reserved close to $100 million in television advertising in small states like Maine,” he said. “So what are the billionaires worried about? Why are they spending so much money to take down this guy?” He concluded that Platner would stand against the oligarchy.
Meanwhile, Sen. Elizabeth Warren chose not to address questions about the controversies surrounding Platner during her visit to the DSCC headquarters. Sen. Peter Welch from Vermont responded to inquiries about moderate areas supporting Platner with a noncommittal “We’ll see.”
One major controversy contending with the leading Democratic candidate stems from a Wall Street Journal report indicating that Platner’s wife found sexually explicit text messages from him to multiple women shortly after their wedding in 2024. Platner acknowledged in a statement, “Amy and I have been through a lot — because of me. We worked. I’m grateful to her every hour of every day.” He added that in this campaign, he’s learned that voters care less about gossip and more about vital issues like healthcare and family welfare.
A Kik account associated with Platner reportedly contained suggestive photos of him, which his campaign noted was created while he was single and had been removed from his phone.
Additionally, Marine Corps veteran Teddy Daniels has come under fire due to controversial tattoos and a resurfaced 2019 Reddit post that was critical of him.
Platner is set to compete against David Costello in the Democratic primary in Maine, with the winner facing five-term Republican Sen. Susan Collins in the general election.
