Democrats publicly back Maine Senate hopeful Graham Platner even as a steady drip of scandals—ranging from old Reddit posts and a Nazi-symbol tattoo to reports of extramarital sexting—raise concerns he could become a liability against Susan Collins and complicate the party’s broader push to win the Senate in 2026.
Maine Democratic Senate hopeful Graham Platner is under renewed scrutiny after reports that he exchanged sexually explicit texts with several women, a revelation his wife denounces as 'gossip' and 'shameful' in a self-shot video. The messages, reportedly disclosed to the campaign about a year ago, have been covered by The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times, which cited aides who confirmed them. Platner’s team says the conversations were private and being handled by the couple, who are in counseling. The controversy adds to a string of past disclosures, including a Nazi-symbol tattoo and past Reddit posts, but he retains major Democratic endorsements as the June primary approaches and he campaigns to unseat Sen. Susan Collins.
Maine politician Platner apologized for past controversial Reddit comments, acknowledging they stemmed from a low point in his life and distancing himself from earlier divisive statements, as he faces scrutiny from political opponents.