Graham Platner to hold Maine rally with Rep. Ro Khanna as scandals shake up campaign

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) 鈥� Graham Platner, the insurgent Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in Maine, will hold his first major campaign rally on Friday night as about his history with women.

Last weekend, his campaign wrestled with stories about sexually explicit messages that Platner sent to several women while he was married. Then on Thursday, The New York Times reported about his relationships with previous girlfriends. Some viewed him positively but others described him as volatile and insulting.

One woman said Platner twisted her arm during an argument and locked her in a room. Platner called that allegation untrue.

But with Maine’s primary around the corner Tuesday and Democrats who can defeat Republican Sen. Susan Collins in November, there’s been little sign of voters or political allies backing away from Platner, who has pitched himself as an imperfect person who has redeemed himself.

Some dismissed news of the text messages as a private matter, one that should be addressed solely by the married couple. Others argue that the need for Democrats to take back control of the U.S. Senate from Republicans is too important to cast aside imperfect candidates.

Yet they’re also wrestling with the question of whether more controversial information surrounding Platner could come out ahead of the November election.

鈥淚 think a lot of people are afraid,鈥� said Deb Dagnan, chair of Maine鈥檚 Piscataquis County Democrats. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e waiting for the other shoe to drop after he gets the nomination. Then what do we do?鈥�

Key to the Senate

Platner is key to Democrats hopes’ to take back the U.S. Senate this year. Yet he’s been bedeviled by near-constant controversies involving his disclosure of , his history of inflammatory online comments and the texting revelations.

Nevertheless, Platner’s most prominent supporters have continued to back the candidate, including Sens. Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren and Ruben Gallego. Platner is scheduled to appear in Bar Harbor Friday evening with progressive Rep. Ro Khanna of California, as well as Democratic candidates for U.S. House and governor, as a part of a 鈥済et out the vote鈥� rally in the coastal resort town.

The event is taking place just days ahead of the state’s June 9 primary election, where Platner is expected to secure the Democratic nomination. His top opponent, Gov. Janet Mills, suspended her campaign in late April.

He’ll do so under reignited scrutiny amid reports that he and his wife, Amy Gertner, have after he allegedly sent sexually explicit text messages to other women.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Gertner had told the campaign in August about the messages, which she had discovered on his phone last year, to make sure they weren鈥檛 a liability to the campaign. Platner鈥檚 campaign team reportedly decided that the texts were private and being handled by the couple, who were married in 2023.

Genevieve McDonald, a former campaign staffer for Platner, told The Associated Press that the candidate was 鈥渟exting multiple women while married鈥� and that 鈥渢he campaign tried to assess that as an election vulnerability.鈥�

Shortly after the news came out, Platner posted a five-minute video taken by Gertner, who avoided speaking directly about her husband鈥檚 reported texts but dubbed the broader coverage as 鈥済ossip鈥� and said 鈥渂eing married is hard.鈥�

Voters worry that more scandals lurk

Gertner’s emotional comments about working on her marriage have resonated with some women, who say they are shocked that a former campaign aide would betray someone’s trust and the issue should remain between the couple.

鈥淚t鈥檚 none of my business as far as I鈥檓 concerned,鈥� said Joanne Mason, a local Democratic leader from south-central Maine. 鈥淎nd I would hope that people wouldn鈥檛 judge any one person on their own private marriage.鈥�

Valerie Tate, a Democrat from Belfast, described Gertner’s honesty about trying to work on their mental health and marriage as admirable.

鈥淭hat is not a scandal,鈥� Tate wrote in an email. 鈥淭hat is integrity. Personal growth is not a disqualification from public life. For many of us, it is precisely what made us worthy of it.鈥�

However, Tate conceded that her mind wasn鈥檛 fully at ease. With the public still learning about Platner鈥檚 past, there is a chance something could emerge as a dealbreaker for voters.

鈥淥f course, there is that concern as there would be in any race with somebody we don鈥檛 know all the dramas and the journeys they鈥檝e been on,” she wrote. “Something could come out that would be disqualifying.鈥�

Past controversies simmer

This isn鈥檛 the first time Platner has faced questions about his past. He had a , which he had covered up after starting his campaign.

Platner has said he didn’t realize the meaning of the tattoo. However, a former girlfriend told the Times he joked about it being a Nazi symbol and called it 鈥渕y Totenkopf.鈥�

There鈥檚 also been much attention on Platner’s former Reddit posts, which were dismissive of military sexual assaults and used homophobic slurs, for which he has apologized.

Platner has never held elected office and has fashioned a straight-talking, progressive, populist-style campaign focusing on issues such as income inequality, lack of health care accessibility and the rising cost of housing. In return, he’s attracted thousands at his rallies and campaign events and collected millions in campaign funds to further boost his messaging.

鈥淧eople want somebody new,鈥� said Paige Zeigler, a former Maine Democratic lawmaker and head of the Waldo County Democrats, on why Platner’s staying power has remained strong. 鈥淭hey want somebody that they feel that they can embrace. And Platner is riding that wave.鈥� ___

Kruesi reported from Providence, Rhode Island.