Graham Platner swept through Washington on Tuesday for a series of meetings with Senate Democrats, testing whether fresh allegations of sexually explicit messaging would crack party support for Maine's presumptive nominee against Republican Sen. Susan Collins. So far, the dam has held.
The controversy erupted over the weekend when reports surfaced that Platner's wife had privately alerted a campaign official about sexually explicit text messages he sent to other women early in their marriage. Platner's team characterized the meetings as routine campaign business scheduled weeks in advance, unrelated to the headlines.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer met with Platner and reaffirmed his endorsement without addressing the allegations directly. "I endorsed Graham Platner," Schumer said. "We're going to beat Susan Collins and take back the Senate." The New York Democrat had initially backed Gov. Janet Mills in the primary before pivoting to Platner after Mills withdrew from the race.
A source characterized the Schumer meeting as "productive" and said Democrats remained "ready to take on Susan Collins" in the anticipated 2026 matchup. Later, Platner spent more than 90 minutes at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee headquarters with other senators including Peter Welch of Vermont and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, both fellow New Englanders who have recently campaigned with him.
Sen. Ruben Gallego of Arizona defended Platner on substantive grounds, arguing voters care more about economic pain than old text messages. "The drip, drip that's actually happening is Americans are really, really hurt by the fact that gas is still high. Food is still high. They can't buy a home. You can't afford rent," Gallego told reporters. "They're not going to care about text messages and everything else like that that happened years ago, especially when it was worked out between spouses."
Welch acknowledged the candidate faces questions but stopped short of abandoning him. "There's fair questions that any candidate has the burden of answering," he said.
Platner bolted from the DSCC building without speaking to reporters, as Republican staffers picketed outside. The political novice has built unusual momentum in Maine, leading Collins by 9 points in a University of New Hampshire poll and 7 points in a separate Pan Atlantic Research survey. His campaign projects confidence, citing a volunteer network of 15,000 powered by small-dollar donations.
Republicans acknowledge Collins faces an uphill climb but point to her history of defying polling predictions. "She's always had a tough race," said Sen. Steve Daines of Montana, a former GOP campaign chief. "Every race for Susan Collins has been a tough race in Maine, as the only Republican in the Northeast. And she's the toughest candidate to beat, too."
Not all Democrats stayed silent. Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, who has previously clashed with Platner, delivered a blunt condemnation Tuesday. Fetterman referenced an anonymous Kik account attributed to Platner and said he found the allegations serious. "When I was growing up, if someone had a Nazi tattoo, you pretty much consume he's a Nazi sympathizer," Fetterman said, alluding to past reports about Platner's conduct. "He's expressed frustration with how I dress, you know. And this asshole is on Kik and sexting to a dozen women."
When asked whether he would prefer to see Platner or Collins win, Fetterman declined to choose. "I don't know. I guess we'll see. But I'd love to meet Phustle," he said, using the alleged account username.
Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, an early Platner backer, reframed the controversy as evidence of Republican determination to defeat him. He pointed to the anticipated $100 million in spending by GOP super PACs targeting Maine as a sign of Platner's electoral viability. "That's an extraordinary amount of money," Sanders said. "Now, why do we think that Republican super PACs controlled by billionaires want to spend an extraordinary amount of money to defeat Graham Platner? That's a good reason to vote for him."
Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia and Sen. Angus King of Maine, who caucuses with Democrats, offered no public comment on Platner's situation.
Author Sarah Mitchell: "Platner's Capitol visit proved Democrats will absorb the scandal in service of taking down Collins, but Fetterman's raw contempt signals this candidacy could fracture if the allegations deepen."
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