Platner dismisses ‘establishment media’ as Democrats split over sexting controversy in Maine
Graham Platner is pushing back against reports about sexually explicit messages he exchanged with other women while married, calling the reporting flawed and accusing a former campaign aide of spreading false information.
His response came Sunday, according to The New York Times, after reports that his campaign was alerted to the messages last summer — a disclosure that has landed in one of the party’s most important Senate races.
Booker voices concern
The reports followed Democrats onto the Sunday shows, where Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey was asked whether the controversy could hurt Democratic efforts to unseat Republican Sen. Susan Collins.
“Yeah, I have concerns. That guy has questions to answer. And that’s what campaigns are for,” Booker said on ABC’s “This Week.”
Booker added that “so much is riding on Democrats taking control of the Senate.”
National Democrats have largely avoided publicly criticizing Platner, whose rise from political newcomer to presumptive nominee has energized progressives in Maine and drawn support from several prominent figures in the party.
Platner responds
Platner addressed the controversy publicly for the first time Sunday while campaigning in Portland.
He accused a former campaign aide of making false claims and criticized The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal for publishing reports about the messages.
Asked whether the reports were accurate, Platner disputed their characterization and said the stories relied on unsubstantiated claims.
Speaking to WMTV in Maine, Platner criticized the media for what he called “journalistic malpractice.”
“It’s no surprise to me that the establishment media outlets are just gonna run gossip instead of wanting to talk about the things that actually matter in this race,” Platner said. “Which are the material realities that the Mainers are working with.”
In a statement released later Sunday, Platner also addressed his marriage.
“Amy and I went through something hard — because of me,” he said. “We did the work, and I’m grateful for her every hour of every day.”
Campaign knew about texts
According to the Journal, Platner’s wife, Amy Gertner, alerted campaign officials last summer after discovering the messages on her husband’s phone.
Current and former campaign officials told multiple news organizations that the matter surfaced during an internal vetting process. Campaign officials have confirmed the communications occurred and said they ended before Platner launched his Senate campaign. Platner has disputed aspects of the reporting surrounding the messages, including claims about the number of women involved.
The disclosure adds to a list of past controversies that Republicans have already begun highlighting, including old Reddit posts and a tattoo Platner later acknowledged had Nazi-linked imagery before he covered it.
Wife defends marriage
Gertner has responded forcefully to the reports, arguing that the couple addressed the issue long ago and has worked 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 and insisted the relationship is stronger today than it was when the messages were discovered.
Democrats offer different responses
Booker’s concern was not shared by everyone in the party.
Appearing on CBS’ “Face the Nation,” Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut defended Platner and pointed instead to the contrast he believes voters will see between Platner and Collins.
“He has certainly admitted that he has made mistakes,” Murphy said. “But I think this is going to be a pretty clear contrast in Maine between somebody who has spent his life protecting us versus somebody who seems to be protecting Donald Trump’s corruption.”
Platner is expected to face Collins in November in a race Democrats view as one of their clearest opportunities to flip a Republican-held Senate seat. Republicans have already seized on the reports and are adding them to a growing list of attacks tied to Platner’s past online comments and other controversies as the general election campaign takes shape.
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
