Graham Platner is disputing reports about sexually explicit messages exchanged with other women while married, saying the coverage is flawed and that a former campaign aide spread false information. The dispute has spilled onto Sunday talk shows, splitting Dem
Graham Platner stepped into the middle of the controversy in Portland on Sunday, and his message was blunt: the reporting he’s facing is wrong in key ways, and he says the stories depend on unsubstantiated claims. He also accused a former campaign aide of spreading false information.
The pushback came after reports that his campaign was alerted last summer to sexually explicit messages he exchanged with other women while he was married. The disclosure has landed in one of the Democratic Party’s most closely watched Senate races as party leaders try to keep momentum toward flipping a seat now held by Republican Sen. Susan Collins.
On Sunday morning, Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey was asked whether the controversy could hurt Democratic efforts in Maine. Booker said he had “concerns. ” adding that “that guy has questions to answer” and that voters will see how campaigns respond. He also stressed the larger stakes for Democrats, saying “so much is riding on Democrats taking control of the Senate.”.
Those concerns weren’t echoed by every Democrat. Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut defended Platner on CBS’ “Face the Nation. ” arguing the race is ultimately about what voters will choose in Maine. Murphy said Platner had “certainly admitted that he has made mistakes. ” but framed the moment as a contrast: “somebody who has spent his life protecting us versus somebody who seems to be protecting Donald Trump’s corruption.”.
The disagreement inside the party is happening as national Democrats have largely stayed away from publicly criticizing Platner. His rise from political newcomer to presumptive nominee has energized progressives in Maine and drawn support from several prominent figures.
Platner’s Saturday-to-Sunday shift from private turmoil to public dispute is now defining his campaign’s immediate road ahead. In his first public remarks on the controversy since it surfaced. Platner accused The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal of getting details wrong. When pressed on whether the reports were accurate. he disputed their characterization and said the stories relied on claims he argued were not supported.
He also addressed his marriage directly in a statement later Sunday that was reported by The Times. “Amy and I went through something hard — because of me,” Platner said. “We did the work, and I’m grateful for her every hour of every day.”
The reporting at the center of the dispute traces back to last summer. when his wife. Amy Gertner. discovered the messages on his phone and alerted campaign officials. according to The Journal. Current and former campaign officials told multiple news organizations that the issue surfaced during an internal vetting process. They said the communications ended before Platner launched his Senate campaign, and they also confirmed that the communications occurred. Platner disputes parts of the coverage, including claims about the number of women involved.
Republicans have begun folding the episode into a broader effort to weaken Platner with a list of past controversies, including old Reddit posts and a tattoo he later acknowledged had Nazi-linked imagery.
Gertner has responded forcefully. arguing that the couple confronted the issue long ago and that they have been working through it in counseling. In a video posted to X, she described ongoing counseling and mental health treatment for both of them. “Our marriage counselor helps. my personal counselor helps. Graham’s personal counselor helps. and we work on our mental health every day. ” she said. “No marriage is perfect, and I don’t want a perfect marriage. I want my marriage, and I want to be married to Graham.”.
In separate statements released through the campaign, Gertner said she felt betrayed by people she trusted with private details about her marriage. She also insisted the relationship is stronger now than it was when the messages were discovered.
For Democrats, the controversy is now colliding with the pressure of a high-stakes Senate map. Platner is expected to face Collins in November. a race Democrats view as one of their clearest opportunities to flip a Republican-held seat. Republicans. meanwhile. have already seized on the reports and are expanding attacks tied to Platner’s past online comments and other controversies as the general election takes shape.
Inside the party, the same set of facts is generating two very different political instincts. Booker’s view—questions voters will demand answers to—sits beside Murphy’s argument that the election will come down to a broader judgment about who better represents Maine. As the campaign moves toward its most consequential months. the dispute over what happened last summer has become something else entirely: a stress test for how united Democrats can stay while they try to win a seat that could shift control of the Senate.
Graham Platner Amy Gertner Cory Booker Chris Murphy Susan Collins Maine Senate race Democratic nominee text messages controversy ABC This Week Face the Nation counseling