Platner’s Campaign Struggles with Texting Scandal

Graham Platner, the Democratic Senate candidate in Maine, faced a significant challenge last summer when his campaign encountered potentially damaging information. His wife, Amy Gertner, informed senior campaign staff that Platner had exchanged sexual messages with several women. This revelation emerged as Platner’s campaign to unseat Republican Senator Susan Collins began gaining traction among voters, particularly in a state where female voters hold considerable influence.

Campaign officials, both current and former, confirmed the exchanges but provided varying details. Ms. Gertner stated that she and Platner, married in November 2023 according to Sullivan, Maine’s town clerk, were attempting to address these indiscretions through marriage counseling. Genevieve McDonald, the campaign’s former political director, recalled Ms. Gertner’s contact just before a prominent Labor Day rally with Senator Bernie Sanders from Vermont. Ms. Gertner expressed concern that her husband’s actions could become a political issue.

Ms. McDonald mentioned that Mrs. Gertner confided in her about Platner’s exchanges with up to a dozen women. As the campaign gathered steam, the potential for this issue to impact Platner’s political aspirations remained a concern for his team and supporters.