Graham Platner, a Democratic candidate for the Senate in Maine, has faced backlash online for leaving his wife to handle a recent media controversy involving him.
On Saturday night, a video of his wife, Amy Gartner, was released, where she reacted to a news article regarding their marriage.
In the video, she shared that they plan to marry in 2023 and expressed that they are “deeply in love.” Gartner mentioned feeling “embarrassed” by the media’s tendency to spread gossip rather than focusing on significant issues like healthcare, education, and childcare that Platner is committed to addressing.
She also stated that both of them see a marriage counselor and have individual counselors. Gartner described Platner as “brilliant, dynamic, and probably a genius.”
“I really respect his outrageousness; when there’s an article about our marriage, it just feels even more outrageous,” she added.
Over the weekend, it was reported that Gartner acknowledged to Platner’s campaign that he had sent explicit texts to other women during the early part of their marriage. Additionally, he was said to have had an active account on the messaging app Kik, where his profile reportedly featured a shirtless photo.
Breitbart News indicated that Platner’s campaign noted he deleted the app, although his account remained active.
The Kik app has been associated with various scandals involving inappropriate content.
Social media users quickly responded to Platner’s post that included his wife’s message. Journalist Megan Basham pointed out that his presence on a platform associated with severe sexual misconduct has significant implications for voters.
Another user commented, calling it “shitty” for Platner to place his wife in that position and criticized him for not addressing the situation himself. Someone else expressed that a real man wouldn’t let his wife address the fallout from his actions and should instead take responsibility.
On Sunday, Senator Cory Booker from New Jersey voiced his concerns about Platner, stating, “That person has questions to answer, and that’s what the campaign is about.”
