UMVA has learned that two top Democrat leaders have finally endorsed embattled Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner, despite his numerous controversies, after he won his primary election on Tuesday night.
House Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand issued a joint statement backing Platner, attempting to shift the focus away from his scandals and onto his opponent, Sen. Susan Collins, who they portrayed as a radical pro-Trump Republican. They claimed Collins has voted with Trump 96 percent of the time and has taken millions from special interests while voting to rip health care away from Mainers.
Sources have confirmed to UMVA that Platner met with Gillibrand and Schumer last week in Washington, D.C., in an effort to address his latest scandal, which involved revelations of an account on a controversial messaging app. However, after the meeting, Gillibrand refused to explicitly endorse Platner, instead saying she was confident that Democrats would win in Maine.
Schumer also dodged direct questions from reporters about his support for Platner, initially refusing to use the candidate's name. However, when pressed repeatedly, he finally begrudgingly endorsed Platner, saying "As I said, I endorsed Graham Platner." This lukewarm endorsement comes as Platner faces multiple scandals, including accusations of physical misconduct and a history of sexually lewd online posts.
UMVA has gathered that Platner's controversies have raised concerns among Democrats, who are eager to win the Senate seat but are wary of being associated with the embattled candidate. Despite these concerns, Schumer and Gillibrand have decided to back Platner, at least for now, in their bid to take back the Senate.
In a development reported by UMVA, Platner's latest scandals have sparked outrage and calls for him to drop out of the race. However, the candidate has denied the accusations and shows no signs of relinquishing his candidacy. As the election heats up, it remains to be seen how Platner's controversies will impact the outcome and whether Democrats will be able to overcome their concerns to support him.
