Platner's Texts With Women Concerned Campaign as Senate Race Took Off

[demmiblue]

Source: NYT

Graham Platner’s insurgent bid for Senate in Maine was gathering steam last summer when his campaign was confronted with some potentially explosive information.

Mr. Platner’s wife, Amy Gertner, told a senior campaign aide that he had been exchanging sexual messages with multiple other women.

It was the kind of revelation with the potential to damage the political newcomer just as his campaign to unseat Senator Susan Collins, a Republican, was beginning to resonate with voters, especially in a state where female voters make up a large share of the electorate.

Mr. Platner’s exchanges with women were confirmed by current and former campaign officials, who gave different accounts of some of the details. Ms. Gertner said the couple, who had married in November 2023, according to the town clerk of Sullivan, Maine, was working through his indiscretions in marriage counseling.

Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/30/us/politics/graham-platner-maine-senate-texts.html?smid=url-share

[mcar]

1. Why are we just hearing about this now?

More and more red flags on this guy.

[Skittles]

6. to be fair

many of us are NOT surprised

[sheshe2]

15. Married less than two years and they are seeing a marriage counselor..

[sheshe2]

97. Hey, BillJoeBobBeau, welcome to DU.

You came onto Democratic Underground to call me a MAGA plant? Seriously?

[SouthBayDem]

119. Campaign aide decided she could become Linda Tripp.

Tripp was the Pentagon worker who revealed the Lewinsky affair.

[mcar]

125. I am aware of Linda Tripp

Which has nothing to do with this flawed candidate.

[SouthBayDem]

126. I get that, I was just trying to make a historical analogy

because in both cases, a politician's sexcapades were whistleblown.

[Escape]

2. OK, so Platner is finished...

We can surely do better than that.

[RVN VET71]

99. Unless somebody steps into the limelight, what other choice do we have?

Dude is going to lose because he's got too much baggage. Way too much. But is there a Kamala Harris in Maine who can pick up the pieces and run a plausible campaign? Doubt it.

Short of it: Collins will win and we are all so fu**ing screwed, again. That's the problem with a constituency that isn't composed of dirtbag lowlifes -- like the kind of folks what's gonna vote fer Paxton and put that vile scraping off a supperating ,syphilitic, butt hole in the Senate. Dems actually have moral standards and base their voting choices on that standard. (Yeah, someone's gonna say whatabout Clinton? To which I say, dammit, son, he had long stood accused of straying and was known as a hound dog . We knew all that and most of us chose him over the (wrongly conceived) wimpiness of George H.W.Bush and nastiness of Bob Dole.)

[debsy]

114. David Costello

https://spectrumlocalnews.com/me/maine/politics/2026/05/01/with-mills-out-of-senate-race--democrat-david-costello-hopes-voters-give-him-a-look

[Cobalt Violet]

120. No he isn't. He is going to win no matter what your wish is.

Do you always believe everything you read? Where is the proof?

[Mark.b2]

3. I just hope he doesn't suck up $$$ support....

in states like NC, OH and AK where I think we can flip. I won’t be sending a dime to Maine.

[choie]

4. Another man who can't control himself.

I’m so sick of people (mostly men) who go online to fulfill god knows what outside their relationship. You can’t respect your partner? Then you don’t belong in a relationship.

[Lovie777]

5. Counseling is a good start for the married couple......

[cstanleytech]

7. I'm pretty sure Collins isn't 'concerned' about her chances now....... unfortunately.

[dsc]

8. Texts like these is how Tillis beat Cunningham in 2020.

We can do better than this candidate.

[WhiteTara]

60. too late now.

[ms liberty]

85. And I'd like once again to thank the Democratic Party for that, because

Jeff Jackson was running for that Senate seat until the party asked him to step aside for Cal Cunningham.
If they'd just stayed the hell out of it, we'd have had Senator Jackson all this time.

[quakerboy]

113. Apparently we cant

Because we had a primary, and as far as i can tell worse things than this were already public knowledge, and voters still were overwhelmingly supporting him over any other option on the ballot

[surfered]

9. He held a 7 point lead over Collins prior to this .

[FBaggins]

31. In Maine - that doesn't mean much I'm affraid

In her 2020 race - every single poll showed Gideon beating Collins. There was one minor poll showing her losing by a single point, but most of the polling was like the one you mention... with one Quinnipiac poll showing her losing by double digits.

Yet she won by nine points.

[surfered]

34. Thank you for that. Visited their Coast one spring. Loved it. Tulips, Daffodils, coastline..

..but I know nothing of their political history.

[Uncle Joe]

49. I think he has a 9 point lead now.

[SamuelTheThird]

10. Trump slept with a porn star while his wife was pregnant

This is irrelevant

[mcar]

14. It is absolutely not irrelevant

[SamuelTheThird]

21. Unless he was harrassing women, it's irrelevant

Or should JFK and Clinton have been thrown out of office?

[mcar]

36. That's ridiculous whataboutism

This is just the latest in a long line of issues with this candidate that his supporters have willfully ignored or excused - sound familiar?

It is absolutely relevant, especially because, as many of us warned, the Collins campaign is just getting started - and why shouldn't they? The Maine Democrats have handed them all the ammunition team Collins needs by supporting a highly questionable candidate.

We are happy that Talarico is going after Paxton for all of his issues. Are you seriously suggesting that Collins' camp wouldn't do the same re Platner?

[SamuelTheThird]

44. People don't vote based on infidelity

Gas and grocery prices are 100,000X more important in voters' heads

[Skittles]

53. can't we have a candidate who isn't a creep with a nazi tattoo?

is that too much to ask?

[LisaL]

86. Who isn't sexting with multiple women?

I guess it is too much to ask.

[Skittles]

109. that's the creep part

he gave me the creeps from day one

[Cobalt Violet]

121. she failed to even win the primary.

[Skittles]

123. I'm saying WEREN'T THERE ANY SUITABLE CANDIDATES OUT THERE?

WTF is going on??? And don't they do ANY vetting?

[Scruffy1]

58. Another Weiner.

Someone who can't control their impulsive behavior. Makes me wonder about what else he's been up to.

[mcar]

61. You know it's out there

[LisaL]

87. And they usually don't stop, do they?

Weiner is a prime example of that.

[Renew Deal]

59. People look back and make that argument about the 90's

[radical noodle]

82. Neither of them had additional problems

This guy seems to have a boatload of issues. The Nazi tattoo put me off him from the early days. Then we found out about things he's said about women in social media. Then he sent out texts attacking all Democrats. Now this.

We can accept some dirty fighting in politics right now because we are fighting the mob, but we should not accept these things just because "trump does it too." We're trying to get away from this awful era, not add to it.

[paleotn]

89. Here we go again. Screwing ourselves.

He's not perfect. But do you want Susan? Do you? Seriously, DO YOU?! Want more of Trump? Maybe JD Vance?? We can't find absolute perfection, so lets just screw ourselves.

Our own worst enemies. And Pukes vote more intelligently than many Dems.

[Skittles]

17. that's a pretty fucking low bar

[cstanleytech]

27. When didn't he do that exactly to any of his many wives?

[PatSeg]

32. Yes but Trump is a republican

These days they seem to get a free pass on almost anything.

[sheshe2]

66. NO! It is not irrelevant.

Trump slept with a porn star while his wife was pregnant

This is irrelevant

Trump is not the standard we should be setting for our candidates!

[LetMyPeopleVote]

11. Bring back Governor Mills

[MontanaMama]

118. Mills is still on the ballot

isn’t she?

[Emile]

124. Her name will not be on the November ballot.

She officially dropped out of the race.

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/news-wrap-gov-janet-mills-drops-out-of-u-s-senate-race-in-maine

[chowder66]

13. I don't see why David Costello shouldn't be backed at this point and probably should have been when Janet dropped out

or even before.

[Bumbles]

23. I agree. Bright, shiny objects distract. I was ready to vote for Graham, with reservations.

David Costello has a fine resume.

"Having grown up in a working-class family in Old Town and having served for more than 30 years in senior-level government positions, both in the USA and abroad – managing, not simply legislating or talking about complex multi-million-dollar programs and operations – David has the broadest and most fitting knowledge and experience to defeat Senator Collins in 2026 and best represent the people of Maine in the United States Senate.

Born in Bangor and Raised in a Working-Class Family in Old Town

Son of an Army veteran and labor organizer. Grandson of French and Irish American shoe, textile, and railroad workers.

Graduate of Old Town High, George Washington University, and the London School of Economics

​Senior Aide, Maine Secretary of State

Developed elections, campaign finance, and motor vehicle safety reforms.

​Maine State Senate Aide

​​Country Program and Regional Team Leader, United States Agency for International Development (USAID)

Conducted and managed foreign aid work in such conflict torn countries as Cambodia, Haiti, Bosnia, Croatia, Serbia, and Kosovo.

Senior Aide, Mayor of Baltimore

Directed community efforts to improve City’s schools and City's assistance to children, youth, and families at risk.

Assistant Secretary, Maryland Department of Planning (MDP)

Managed cross-agency efforts to support smarter, more sustainable growth.

Senior Aide, Governor of Maryland

Directed cross-agency efforts to achieve Governor’s most important goals.

Deputy and Acting Secretary, Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE)

Helped to manage 1,000+ employees, various programs, and $380 million annual budget.

Climate Action Now! and Energize Maryland Projects Coordinator

Directed foundation funded projects to aggressively tackle climate change."

[mcar]

37. Thank you for this. I wasn't aware of him.

I'll pay more attention now.

[Bumbles]

42. You're welcome. I think he may have registered late and has been overwhelmed by a flashier candidate in Platner.

https://spectrumlocalnews.com/me/maine/politics/2026/05/01/with-mills-out-of-senate-race--democrat-david-costello-hopes-voters-give-him-a-look

[yorkster]

104. Thanks for the detailed David Costello info.

[yorkster]

55. X1000.

[Susan Calvin]

18. I'm sick of people who know what they've done and run anyway.

They should work on the assumption that past indiscretions will be revealed. If they're bad enough to hurt the campaign, don't run. Or have a damn good cover story, which he doesn't appear to have.

[lostincalifornia]

28. That is a very real problem.and reflects a major character flaw. Sarwell did the

same thing.

The other problem is the double standard presented by our MSM.

We have the best press bought and paid for by the Republican Party.

[SamuelAdams]

19. Governor Mills had to drop out for this guy?

This guy is the left's new savior, after Sinema and Fetterman worked out so well.

[rogue emissary]

20. Just want to point out there's at least another Democrat running in

The primary.

[Bumbles]

24. David Costello. See my posting above.

[Quiet Em]

45. Here's a link to a Maine Democratic Primary Ballot

David Costello

Janet Mills

Graham Platner

(Write in)

are all on the ballot to be ranked

https://durhammaine.gov/uploads/state-of-maine-dem-primary-election.pdf

[Miguelito Loveless]

22. A lesson to folks thar when you see red flags

Like Nazi tattoos, there is probably worse yet to be unearthed. We cannot win elections without women, and non-MAGA women do not like cheaters, creeps, and child rapists. Platner ticks two of those three boxes.

[mcar]

38. The excuses people have made for this guy makes me wonder

why.

The flaws were right in front of us. The Nazi tattoo? A foolish young man. Rape apolgia? He's renounced what he said. The list goes on.

Now we have this and again it's "oh, it's between him and his wife." Really?

Oh, but he's for Medicare for all so it's all OK.

[radical noodle]

56. Well, but Bernie likes him... eye roll

[mcar]

62. IIRC Bernie liked Fetterman too

[LisaM]

71. And Tulsi Gabbard.

I agree with Bernie on most issues (which actually align with Democratic values, Sanders did not invent those positions). A great judge of character, he is not.

[LisaL]

127. Yea, and look how well Fetterman turned out.

Not.

[Emile]

132. Centrist

[betsuni]

69. The Progressive Establishment has anointed and it is always right.

[Cirsium]

68. David Costello

David Costello supports Medicare for all.

[Skittles]

52. no shit

it is disgusting to see him whitewashed

[VGuerra276]

25. This type of indiscretion

This type of in discretion seems to affect everyone except Frump. Platner came in with a bang and now I'm not sure there's any way to overcome this disaster. Is anyone vetting our candidates?

[Skittles]

51. oh come on

it's not like there wasn't already concerns about this guy

[LeftInTX]

57. I believe Trump doesn't text or email

[karynnj]

106. I would imagine whatever opponent leaked all the early opposition stuff

did what he could to vet him. All the questionable posts, the tattoo and his working for Blackwater were all out there. Frankly, if you were told that an UNNAMED Democratic candidate for Senate had sexted a woman who was not his wife, who would have been your first guess?

The question I have is whether this revelation, assuming the women were consenting, is worse than all the others. Is it worse than, if in a primary, a candidate admitted to an affair a few years before?

[Red Mountain]

26. So if he stays in.....

and becomes the candidate, who would you vote for?

Would you not vote?

(pretend you can vote if you can't)

[lostincalifornia]

29. He'll stay in, and unless an alternative appears, Democrats will have no choice but to vote for him. The

question is what will independents do

[mcar]

39. Are you OK with him blaming women for their rapes?

[Orangenero]

46. Not so much

But it was 2013 and he apologized so it's not a disqualifer.

[mcar]

47. WTF?

[PatSeg]

33. Maybe Platner should have done some

oppo research on himself before he decided to run for office. Did he really think none of this would ever come out?

[mdbl]

35. This should be good for the Bro's vote

They seem to like candidates that cheat.

[Kid Berwyn]

40. Who remembers Gary Hart?

Apart from the owner of Monkey Business, and his then-millionaire chums, none of the players knew they were getting played until checkmate.

ETA: For all his flaws, he woulda made a great President.

[mahina]

41. Distasteful and upsetting but I'm delighted it's finally coming out.

He always gave me the Lettermans. The tattoo creeped me all the way out and his gruff hypermasculine thing was a turnoff for me as much as it is a positive for others.

Good for David Costello!

[DoBW]

43. Epstein Class

Epstein Class wants to sink this guy bad

[DaBronx]

48. Not surprised in the least

Upstanding moral individual he seems not to be. Evidence continues to present.Maine messed up big time. Sad.

[WestMichRad]

50. IOKIYAR

Sexual peccadillos are so 20th Century.

But it is an indication that he’s a sleazebag. Wouldn’t hurt him if he was running in, say, the Deep South. But in Maine? Could easily be enough to torpedo his candidacy.

[DonCoquixote]

54. I know the gop is worse, but

why oh why can't democrats keep their lust in their pants People are getting HURT

[DonCoquixote]

108. NO

I am saying that I wish c rtain people would THINK before gambling our lives.

[yorkster]

63. David Costello is a much more qualified

choice than Platner. Early voting has started, but the primary is June 9.

[bmichaelh]

64. Hope this is not repeat of Cunningham in NC in 2020

I believe Cunningham was ahead of Tillis in NC for US Senate until a texting scandal came to light.

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/north-carolina-democratic-senate-candidate-admits-sending-sexual-texts-strategist-n1241962

[duckworth969]

65. Plantner is the candidate

Deal with it.

[MorbidButterflyTat]

67. Okay if Mainers vote first before you declare the winner?

Maine Primary Elections are happening June 9.

[LisaL]

80. He is not yet nominated.

If he is nominated, it's going to be too late to deal with it.

[Torchlight]

90. Sounds serious

Good luck

[Buddyzbuddy]

70. And then there's this

From a previous post by demmiblue. Thank you, demmiblue.
Excerpt:
Earlier this week, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) launched the joint fundraising page, which urged donors to “Contribute to pro-Israel Candidates for U.S. Senate,” displaying Stevens and Collins together with preset donation amounts. The joint fundraiser was “paid for and authorized” by both candidates, according to AIPAC.

The fundraising campaign, which included an email blast, also attacked one of Stevens’s Democratic rivals, Abdul El-Sayed, the race’s most outspoken critic of Israel’s war in Gaza. He also was the only candidate endorsed by Track AIPAC, a grassroots group that documents and opposes the influence of AIPAC and pro-Israel political spending. The fundraiser accused El-Sayed and Graham Platner, the Democrat running against Collins in Maine, of “embracing extreme rhetoric,” pushing “false accusations of genocide,” and supporting cuts to aid for Israel.

“There is a coordinated, well-funded effort to punish anyone who stands with Israel and it’s gaining ground fast,” the email said. “It’s being driven by the far-left fringe of American politics, pushed by Bernie Sanders and amplified by voices like Hasan Piker, who are normalizing hostility toward Israel and turning it into a political weapon.”

https://www.metrotimes.com/news/politics-elections/aipac-pairs-haley-stevens-with-republican-in-joint-senate-fundraiser-attacks-el-sayed/


Timing is everything.

[Maine-i-ac]

72. Perfectly timed, perfectly ambiguous NYT hit piece. Probably a few more parked.

But our SecDef has a Nazi tattoo that is NOT covered up, and Epstein Island is just a shrug?
Platner should throw it all back at them. It's all fair game.

[EX500rider]

91. "our SecDef has a Nazi tattoo" Not really

This one?
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has faced significant controversy over several of his tattoos, but historians and investigators have not identified any explicit Nazi symbols on his body.
The primary tattoo that sparked this concern is a Jerusalem Cross on his chest, a widely recognized Christian symbol dating back to the Crusades.

Platner on the other hand sported a actual Nazi tattoo, a Totenkopf tattoo for almost 20 years, the Totenkopf was adopted by Hitler's SS, including the units that guarded concentration camps.

[Vinca]

73. This guy seems to be a disaster in the making. I know he stands for all the right things, but . . .

[Jughead]

74. Jimmy Carter

“I lusted in my mind”

Oh the horrors…lol

[intheflow]

75. Were the women over 18? Was the sex consensual?

For a party that said Clinton’s consensual sex with Lewinsky was a nothingburger and certainly didn’t interfere with his elected duties, the outrage in this thread sounds as prim as any Bible toting hypocrite. As far as I can tell, this was all consensual and counseling is happening in his marriage. His sex life is private, as long as it isn’t illegal. IMHO.

[Irish_Dem]

76. malpractice

[rzemanfl]

77. "[E]specially in a state where female voters make up a large share of the electorate."

Like there are states where they don't?

His wife has posted a video. I don't have a link but, I am sure someone here does and will post it.

EDIT: Already here-https://democraticunderground.com/100221271510

[Akakoji]

78. Great piece by The New York Times

It's a click bait title, but everyone who reads it wants to vote for him now. A real human being for Senate? Mainers love the guy. The article explains why they might.

[bucolic_frolic]

79. Republicans would not self-inflict themselves over this

They would declare him a red-blooded American male and move on.

We don't need to ruin our Senate prospects with purity tests. We need to win the election in Maine.

[dem4decades]

83. Let's have 25 threads a day about this. Collins is concerned there's not enough threads.

[LisaL]

88. I don't want to have to deal with her concerns for years to come.

NT

[questionseverything]

102. Then stop helping her!

[LisaL]

103. In my view nominating this guy would end up helping her.

Do we have to nominate someone with so many issues? Jeez.

[Artistree22]

84. Listen to his wife please.

She has made a statement that he posted on his youtube. I think everyone who has commented here might want to take a listen. IMHO
Why are you piling on? Platner is making the argument that we all want to hear and it's resonating as well as energizing voters. Will he be a good senator and keep fighting for the people? We don't know but Collins sure won't. No one is condoning his past actions that are between he and his wife. It's what he can achieve as a senator for the people, that is more important. I will share this comment that thought said it well. Have a great blue moon Sunday all.
@davidrowe762
8 hours ago (edited)
The establishment doesn’t understand that people support Graham because he’s authentic. The shortcomings they try to tar him with are what makes him human. We’re sick of polished politicians who pretend to live holier than thou lives while passing legislation that destroys the working and middle class. And most of those politicians have skeletons in their closet too, but pretend to be people they’re not. Graham comes as he is, flaws and all, and doesn’t deny them but speaks to how he’s grown from those experiences. That’s the human condition in its purest form. We can all see ourselves in that journey. So they can throw all the shit they want at him, but as long as he stays true to his working class agenda, he will have the support of Mainers and people far beyond (writing from Canada 🇨🇦

[BillJoeBobBeauregard]

93. WHO CARES?????

My goodness, you have a country on the precipice of a fascist dictatorship, and anybody actually arguing over this once donald trump to overthrow our government seriously. Trump rapes young girls. Get over yourselves you're not going to have a perfect candidate. You people objecting are the reason why trump got in and bush got in because of objections over palestine voting for jill stein voting for ralph nader for whatever reason.

[Skittles]

110. alrighty then

the choice is between a creep with a nazi tattoo and "the perfect candidate"........got it, although to be fair, "you people", that says it all

[dlk]

98. Epstein, Epstein, Epstein...

n/t

[samsingh]

105. another attempt to grab defeat out of a senate seat we could win

[Miami Blue]

107. Go Platner 💪🏻

I would rather vote for an American hero like Graham Platner than vote for a known corrupt and hypocrite such as Susan Collins.
Is Susan Collins okay with having pedos & rapists holding meaningful positions in the
US government? Yes, she is.🤬

Americans, don't forget that this phony/ ill/ and
Unscrupulous woman Susan Collins was the pivotal and deciding vote for the confirmation of the Supreme Court's most repugnant and alleged Rapist / Drunkard by the name of
Brett Kavanaugh aka Mr. I like beer 🍻.
🖕🏻

[50 Shades Of Blue]

111. I'm glad I don't have to vote for this guy. I've yet to read anything that would make me want to.

[LisaL]

112. Same here.

Thankfully my candidate doesn't have all these issues.

[yankee87]

115. Pearl Clutching

I don't know if stuff like this even matters anymore. In Texas, all republicans will get behind a person with as bad or worse. I know this is whataboutism, but I'm tired of waiting for perfect candidates.

[LisaL]

116. If this guy was a republican, he would have been a perfect candidate.

I have no doubt about that.

[Don1]

117. This reads like a hit piece

Title: "Platner's Texts With Women Concerned Campaign as Senate Race Took Off"

Did they really? According to the wife, before they even started campaigning, there was an internal vetting process where he was asked if there was anything. The couple told the staff internally about the previous messages. Then, the vetters decided to go ahead with the campaign. This was all PRIVATE.

Now that there are political opponents one of the former staffers leaked the info to make Platner look bad. They leaked info that was private and already vetted by that staffer a long while ago.

From this article:
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/graham-platner-wife-told-campaign-about-sexually-explicit-texts-he-sent-other-women/

In a video posted by Platner's campaign's social media, Gertner said "I just really wanted to make sure that everyone knows that Graham and I have a great marriage."

"Being married is hard," she said. "Being newly married is hard. Being newly married and going through infertility is hard. Being newly married, going through infertility and a Senate campaign is hard. I don't even know if I have the right words to describe what we've been going through, but our marriage counselor helps, my personal counselor helps, Graham's personal counselor helps and we work on our mental health every day. No marriage is perfect."

...

"I trusted this person with the most private chapter of our lives — the early days of our marriage BEFORE ANY CAMPAIGN WAS ON OUR MIND — and I am deeply hurt by her betrayal and the invasion of our privacy," Gertner wrote.

(caps added for emphasis)

[orangecrush]

122. Exactly

[regnaD kciN]

128. Good thing he didn't brag about grabbing women by the pussy...

…because that would certainly make anyone unelectable!

[RandySF]

129. Many candidates have affairs

but people, including the press, acts like another shoe will drop.

[LisaL]

130. And many candidates have lost the election, the nomination, etc, because of

those affairs.

[RandySF]

131. Not so much these days.

[WinningAgain]

133. My fear is what will drop after he has the nomination.