Graham Platner meets with Democratic senators on Capitol Hill amid weekend controversy

Jun 3, 2026

Maine's presumptive Democratic Senate nominee Graham Platner met with senators on Capitol Hill amid a controversy over sexually explicit text messages he sent to other women, which were disclosed by his wife. While most Democrats like Chuck Schumer are maintaining their support, Sen. John Fetterman has been a vocal critic. Platner, who currently leads incumbent Republican Susan Collins in polls, avoided reporters after the meetings.

Platner meetings with Senate Democrats

▪The meetings were reportedly scheduled "on the books for a while" and were unrelated to the recent stories about Platner.
▪After a meeting lasting over an hour and a half, Platner left without speaking to reporters while Republican staffers protested outside.
▪Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer confirmed he met with Graham Platner and reiterated his endorsement.
▪Graham Platner visited Capitol Hill on June 2, 2026, to meet with Democratic senators amid a recent controversy.

Sexting controversy spousal disclosure

▪The username associated with Graham Platner on the anonymous messaging platform Kik was "Phustle".
▪Reports emerged that Graham Platner's wife, Amy Gertner, privately told a campaign official about sexually explicit text messages he sent to other women early in their marriage.

Democratic senators backing Platner

▪Sen. Ruben Gallego of Arizona stated that voters would care more about economic issues than text messages from years ago.
▪A Platner campaign official stated their campaign has built a movement of 15,000 volunteers and is focused on issues that matter to Mainers.
▪Sen. Bernie Sanders defended Platner by highlighting that Republican super PACs plan to spend $100 million to defeat him in Maine.
▪No Democratic senator has withdrawn their support for Graham Platner following the recent controversy.

Maine Senate race polling leads

▪Graham Platner is the presumptive Democratic nominee to run against Republican Sen. Susan Collins in the 2026 Maine Senate race.
▪A Pan Atlantic Research poll showed Graham Platner leading Susan Collins by 7 points.
▪A University of New Hampshire poll showed Graham Platner leading Susan Collins by 9 points.

Collins historical polling overperformance

▪Republicans note that Sen. Susan Collins has a history of overperforming polls on election night, including in 2020.
▪Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., described Susan Collins as the only Republican in the Northeast in the House or Senate.

Fetterman criticism of Platner

▪Fetterman compared Platner's behavior to having a "Nazi tattoo," stating "you pretty much assume he's a Nazi sympathizer."
▪Fetterman has emerged as one of Platner’s most prominent Democratic critics and has said he would not support him.
▪Fetterman mocked Platner by referring to his Kik username "Phustle" and his past criticism of Fetterman's dress code.