UMVA has learned that Democratic senators met with Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner behind closed doors on Tuesday, amid a swirling storm of controversy surrounding his campaign.
The meeting, which took place just a week before the primary election on June 9, saw senators brushing off questions about Platner's alleged sexting scandals and resurfaced online posts, with some expressing confidence in his chances of winning.
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., told reporters outside the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee building that she remains confident in Platner's ability to win Maine, saying, "I'm very confident we are going to win Maine." When asked if she still supports Platner, Gillibrand replied, "I do. I have confidence that we are going to win Maine and I have no doubt."
Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., defended Platner, pointing to the massive amount of money being spent on advertising in Maine targeting the Democratic candidate. "All I can tell you is that the wealthiest people in this country have now reserved close to $100 million in TV ads in a small state like Maine," Sanders said. "So what are the billionaires worried about? Why are they spending so much money trying to defeat this guy?"
Sanders concluded that Platner's commitment to standing up to the oligarchies is likely the reason for the intense opposition, saying, "The answer is that he's going to stand up to the oligarchies." Meanwhile, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., declined to answer questions from reporters about the controversies surrounding Platner's campaign as she entered the meeting.
Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt., took a more cautious approach, saying that the decision ultimately lies with the voters in Maine. When asked if he believes the moderate jurisdiction will back Platner, Welch replied, "We'll see."
Platner has faced intense scrutiny over several controversies, including a report that his wife discovered sexually explicit text exchanges with multiple women just months after they were married in 2024. He has also faced criticism over a Nazi-linked tattoo and resurfaced online posts, including a 2019 Reddit post that made inflammatory comments about a Purple Heart veteran.
In response to the controversies, Platner has stated that he's learned that people don't care about gossip or headlines, but rather about who is fighting for their hospitals, paychecks, and kids. Platner will face David Costello in Maine's Democratic Senate primary on June 9, with the winner set to take on five-term Republican Sen. Susan Collins in the general election.
