
The Democrat bid to unseat Maine Republican Susan Collins from the US Senate in an attempt to win back control of the upper chamber of Congress received a jolt as reports about the presumptive party nominee Graham Platner s sexual texts with multiple women sur... The Democrat bid to unseat Maine Republican Susan Collins from the US Senate in an attempt to win back control of the upper chamber of Congress received a jolt as reports about the presumptive party nominee Graham Platner’s sexual texts with multiple women surfaced. The Democratic Party is already facing a difficult path to recapture control of the US Senate, and the Maine race against Senator Susan Collins is a must-win for the party. However, Platner's wife, who the reports said was already aware of the said texts, appeared to back her Marine Corps veteran husband. Amy Gertner said in a statement Saturday that she was “deeply hurt” after details of her husband’s messages to other women became public, accusing a former campaign official and confidante of betraying her trust. “I find it really shameful that there’s a group of media outlets and people who are willing to spread gossip. No marriage is perfect, and I don't want a perfect marriage. I want my marriage,” she said in the informal, selfie-style video where she walked along a road. The statement came after both The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal reported that shortly after Platner announced his Senate campaign last year, Gertner flagged to campaign staff sexual text messages her husband had with other women. According to both the NYT and the WSJ, Gertner wanted to ensure the texts didn't pose a political liability for the novice candidate. Platner's campaign team eventually decided that the texts were private and being handled by the couple, who were married in 2023. The two are in counselling, Gertner has said. Graham Platner, a Marine Corps veteran and oyster farmer with no prior political experience, has surged ahead of the June 9 Democratic primary, drawing large crowds at his rallies and garnering endorsements from Democrats like Senators Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, and Ruben Gallego, as well as US House Representative Ro Khanna. According to CNN, that's even as his campaign has been hit by revelations from his past, including a since-covered tattoo recognised as a Nazi symbol and comments he posted online denigrating police and White people. Platner became the Democrats’ presumptive nominee after Maine Governor Janet Mills dropped out in late April, just weeks before the June 9 primary. Mills, who was recruited to run by national Democratic leaders, will remain on the primary ballot. While Platner’s campaign has been marked by revelations over his past behaviour, those earlier developments hadn’t appeared to cut into his support: He led Collins by 9 points in a University of New Hampshire poll released last week. It’s still unclear how the news of his extramarital sexting will affect his appeal. Former political director for Platner’s campaign, Genevieve McDonald, confirmed