Graham Planter was a mistake:

[Chasstev365]

https://www.rawstory.com/graham-platner-texts-wsj-report/

[Pisces]

1. There were many red flags but we chose to ignore them.

[ananda]

41. Not all of us.

He had revealed himself way before the election.

[dem4decades]

2. Wow, at least 5 stories on this in the first 20.

[JBTaurus83]

3. I didn't care for either candidate

But, I don’t give a shit about their personal life. We have a rapist as president, and a senator in Maine that supports rapists.

[-misanthroptimist]

33. Agreed

He's running for Senate, not sainthood.

[surfered]

4. Jeez!

It always comes out….

[niyad]

5. The latest reported problem is only one of many.

[mr715]

6. Ah yes, thanks Rawstory for providing, what is it? What exactly?

[mcar]

18. NYT and WSJ. You could read about it.

[mcar]

20. Whatever.

[mr715]

21. I went a little overboard.

[surfered]

58. Multiple news outlets. Google it.

[mr715]

61. My reflex is to make fun of rawstory

because they make money on doing what I end up having to do anyway.

In this case, apparently the wife is reporting proactively that text might be a problem in the future tense. And that they attended counseling and that their "marriage is stronger than ever".

Like, if I were prone to a certain sort of conspiratorial thinking (wink wink), I'd say there are no texts at all and he is a articulating perhaps the best media-driven narrative possible.

I'm partially joking. It sucks if he cheated on his wife. But I don't really care because neither his wife nor he are my friend. He is indicating he will take a hatchet to billionaires. I'd like that.

[surfered]

65. I understand. In this case, it's not just Raw Story . It's everybody

And it shows poor judgment on his part. That many different women and he didn’t think it would come out? As a candidate, his decision affect us. He was 7 points up on Collins before this news broke. I now expect the worst.

[Nanjeanne]

7. Im glad his wife and he did the work they needed to do to keep their marriage strong.

And unless his messages were with underage women or vulnerable women he was using some influence of power with — this is going to smack of desperation looking for a story.

[mr715]

8. For the record, as a Graham Platner skeptic

Anyone on this thread giving this oxygen is supporting Susan Collins.

[mr715]

9. And here's some more:

Why couldn't Governor Mills find this oppo with the full force of Schumer and Gillibrand?


The reason is because this is oppo from the Collins campaign and we, as Democrats should know better.


If he has sex tapes, I hope he and has wife enjoy them. I care not the least little bit about his personal life because he is saying the right mouth words and his opponent, Susan Collins, can't even form a sentence.

It is concerning that I am this concerned by this post.

I apologize for 3 direct replies to the same post.

[Cirsium]

23. but Raw Story!

And WSJ!

[mr715]

24. But Susan Collins!

[surfered]

10. Here's another difference between Democrats and Republicans: Republicans wouldn't care.

Including the “family values” voters.

[Chasstev365]

12. But the corporate media will make this an issue!

They let an adjudicated rapist off the hook, but mark my words, they will make this an issue to help Collins. The Nazi tattoo doesn't help either.

At the same, they will gloss over Ken Paxton's infidelity.

[surfered]

16. Just to be clear, I did not mean we shouldn't care.

[mr715]

43. Sorry to butt in

But we shouldn't care, either. Politicians are vehicles for policy and we shouldn't look to them for moral clarity. They are as a consequence of power, history, and law by nature compromised. As such, all our candidates are at best complex and at worst compromised.

Where it matter is the words they say and the deliverables they achieve. In this contest, it is between Graham Platner who is saying some seriously solid mouth words, and Susan Collins who is made of jello.

As a matter of political tactics, I think it is fascinating that his sex life is coming up, considering his opponent who I believed is the uncontested sexiest member of Congress.

[surfered]

51. It demonstrates poor judgement. Not only on moral grounds, but expecting so many instances of it not to eventually come

Out. He ended up giving ammunition to his enemy. And we will end up being the worst for it…losing a seat in the Senate.

[mr715]

54. I mean, what the hell do we know?

Maybe Maine voters what a candidate that has had sex in the last 30 years.

[surfered]

56. 😁🙏

[whathehell]

47. I don't know..

it seems there's some Democrats here who don't care much either.

[surfered]

68. I know, too. We wanted so much to control the senate

[LetMyPeopleVote]

11. Bring back Governor Mils

[mr715]

13. She had her opportunity to do opposition research.

She doesn't want the job.

[Mark.b2]

52. Not being a Mainer, I don't know the story behind her not being the heir to this seat...

I trust Maine Democrats have a reason.

[aeromanKC]

14. Just makes me despise senator Collins even more!!

Fuck her and her faux concerns!!

[sop]

15. Who made this public, an aide working for Platner's campaign doing oppo research on their own candidate?

(Raw Story) "Platner's wife, Amy Gertner, told his Senate campaign about the texts with several different women, insider sources told the WSJ. Gertner discovered the texts in spring 2025, and in August, she told an aide whom she considered a friend, while the campaign was doing opposition research on Platner, the WSJ reported."

[mcar]

17. Many of us have been warning about him. nt

[gulliver]

22. The midterm results will be positive either way

We'll either make gains or we'll learn who to run (or not) in 2028.

[JBTaurus83]

25. We don't have that type of time

He’s the official nominee, so we need to make sure he wins in one of this nation’s most important elections. I see certain Democrats can be bashed here though while others cannot. I saw a Dem “strategist” go right on to Fox News and claim it would be fine for Susan Collins to win.

She should tell that to women all over the country who lost the rights to their own bodies. That is directly due to Susan Collins and Dump. It always amazes me that democrats will tear each other apart first, even when we have actual Nazis running the country.

[gulliver]

29. If it gets too obvious he's going to lose...

...it would be his duty to the party to step aside and endorse a write-in for Mills, imo. I don't know if we're there yet. That would be a desperation move. I'm waiting for our elected leaders to weigh in, frankly.

[mr715]

31. He's ahead by 9 points.

[JBTaurus83]

40. If something like that were to come out

I would fully agree. We need that seat. So far, he seems to be ahead of Collins.

[mr715]

26. No -- We only win the Senate with Graham Platner.

Don't pretend otherwise.

Don't equivocate.

THIS is the race that will be the harbinger of the night. So those among us that pearl clutch at his orgasmic practices are only helping Susan Collins and therefore control of the Senate.

Purity tests my somewhat-digusted-but-resigned-for-and-yet-enthustiatic-support of Graham Platner ass.

[JBTaurus83]

27. Correct

If we come down to 51-50, what do people think Fetterman is likely to do?

[mr715]

28. If Graham Platner is losing in Maine

Dan Osborne isn't winning in Nebraska.

[gulliver]

32. Let's see if there's unrecoverable damage

There's no rule that Dems can't react real time to reality.

[mr715]

34. To the reality of winning?

He is ahead by 9 points.

Susan Collins looks like an undead muppet.

It seems to me that you are suggesting the Democratic party use the above information to seize defeat from the jaws of victory.


Graham Platner is beating Susan Collins. He is saying the correct mouth words. He is running a campaign strong enough to outperform national Democrats in a season when Democrats are already outperforming.

He is running a campaign so good that Susan Collins had to acknowledge her fucking tremor.

What are you talking about!?

[SSJVegeta]

30. Could be worse

He could have voted to end abortion rights for millions of Americans and protected a belligerent president for years while helping forfeit the role of congress from oversight roles entirely.

[oasis]

35. Bottom line, Trump has to be put in check. Too

late to find an ideal candidate.

[fujiyamasan]

36. Meh

I wasn’t his biggest fan, but right now the only thing that matters is beating Collins.

There were issues with both candidates in my opinion. Going with Mills would have posed its own problems. She was a great candidate on paper, but I think there should have been alternatives to Platner, who was barely vetted, and Mills who is close to 80 years old. There’s also a lot of anti establishment vibes, and rightly or wrongly Mills is viewed as the establishment pick, especially since she was Schumer’s chosen candidate.

[B.See]

37. again...

Lesser of two evils.

When he starts promoting cutting food and health aid for children worldwide,

kicking millions off of snap and Medicaid,

killing Black jobs and silencing minority representation via gerrymandering and voter suppression,

locking women and children up in concentration camps under some bullshit 'worst of the worst' LIE,

tanking the economy, killing off environmental and consumer protections,

sabotaging the function of government via the installation of A PUPPET AUTOCRACY,

ending birthright citizenship,

'taking over elections,

partnering with authoritarian dictators to engage in war (i.e. LAND GRABS),

WHILE pocketing BILLIONS of profit on the taxpayer's dime,

(and that's not nearly the HALF of it)...

then CALL me.

[chelsea0011]

38. Another anti Planter post

I’m a Mainer and beating Susan Collins is all that matters. Platner is a multi tour veteran who came home and posted crap. So what? Collins supports Trump almost all the time. You choose.

[mzmolly]

39. "We did the hard work that marriage requires...."

"We did the hard work that marriage requires. We went to counseling. We were honest with each other in ways that weren't easy," Gertner said in a statement provided to the WSJ by Platner's campaign. "Our marriage today is stronger than ever before."

Not my business, unless laws were broken. Doesn't sound like they were.

That said, he's not a Presidential candidate or I might think differently about his character and vulnerabilities. We're in the Trump era where pedophiles are being actively protected by the Republican Party. There is no comparison.

[mr715]

45. I need you to know MzMolly, I really like you and your opinions.

[WSHazel]

42. Don't count on Mills for having done any oppo research

She didn't want to run for this seat, and was happy to drop out. Schumer basically guilted her into doing it, which was a huge mistake. She barely ran a campaign at all.

[sop]

44. Talarico and Platner should switch races.

Platner's online philandering would pale in comparison to Paxton's sleaze, and Talarico's christian beliefs would make Collins look downright immoral.

[mr715]

46. Switch wives. Make it a reality TV show.

I'm sorry, it is a bad and unfunny joke but it immediately popped into my head and I just felt compelled to pitch it.

[delisen]

48. I don't waste time on candidates who lie or hide facts to get nominated.

So I don’t worry about Senator Fetterman or a possible future Senator Platner.

I do not have big money resources but I do volunteer my time and my voice to persuade others to vote for Ossoff and candidates who share my values

I figure Elizabeth Warren, and Bernie Sanders can continue working for Platner and persuading Maine voters.

[mr715]

50. Ossoff is a dynamo

I remember him debating the empty podium, and doing it in a compelling way.

He is another eventual President.

[demmiblue]

49. We shouldn't accept the claim that Platner was "sexting" anyone without seeing the texts. He's controversial...

We shouldn’t accept the claim that Platner was “sexting” anyone without seeing the texts. He’s controversial, there are a lot of attempts to sink him, and it’s perfectly possible the texts were just innocent discussions of securing the existence of our people and a future for white children.

We shouldn’t accept the claim that Platner was “sexting” anyone without seeing the texts. He’s controversial, there are a lot of attempts to sink him, and it’s perfectly possible the texts were just innocent discussions of securing the existence of our people and a future for white children.

— Illegal Aliens And Women Hat (@kenwhite.bsky.social) 2026-05-30T22:17:19.507Z

[mr715]

53. You are accusing a Democrat of being a white nationalist.

I am not alerting this post because I don't know if you posted this in error or not.

[Quiet Em]

59. It's humor and it's funny

It's making fun of his most vocal defenders, white guys, who will say or do anything to defend him.

Like this one

Platner could’ve sexted my mom and I’d still vote for him

— Secular Talk (@kylekulinskishow.bsky.social) 2026-05-30T20:57:38.424Z

I mean, .... way past ridiculous at this point

[mr715]

62. I guess

My mom does need to get out more.

[karynnj]

55. No fan of Platner, but could he do a Bill Clinton 1992 primary talk

like the 60 minutes where he spoke of causing pain in his marriage. I have not read enough to know what he said or did, but was it worse than Clinton and Flowers and Jones?

In some ways, there could be similarities. Like Hillary, his wife is standing behind him. Also they apparently worked to keep their marriage together. Also, the Republican is a generation older person who at that point was uninspiring.

Like others, I wish he would have been eliminated by all the things that already came out. However, the fact that he over that time became more popular, suggests he might in some ways be like Clinton. Clinton was able to make people forgive him.

The primary is June 9th, which seems to late to switch to anyone else. Mills might be the only option and it is not clear she could win the primary.

[mr715]

57. Who cares about his sex life?

Donald Trump is President.

Jeffrey Epstein is on the ballot.

[karynnj]

63. We don't know yet if voters in Maine care, this just came out

As Platner seems to be charismatic and Maimers did not hold all the other stuff against him, I was suggesting that as he will likely be our candidate, that the Clinton example could work.

Not to mention, if Trump becomes sufficiently unpopular in Maine, it is possible ANY Democrat will win as they vote to try to keep Trump accountable.

[mr715]

64. If you are comparing Clinton to Platner

there is a lot of very interesting things to unpack, and I'd love to hear more.

[karynnj]

66. Do you remember the 1992 primaries?

Do you remember that Hillary and Bill Clinton went on 60 minutes because revelations of his relation with Gennifer Flowers were threatening his rise in the primaries. Hillary was incredible pointing out she was not just standing by her man.

I don't know how to compare the flaws or the good qualities of the two men. It is also true that culture of 1992 is not the culture of 2026. Not to mention that knowing nothing of his wife, Hillary was exceptional and likely pulled him out of this trouble.

[mr715]

67. I was pretty young.

I was in 4th grade, so my political awareness was not very nuanced.

It did start my lifelong desire to see Sec. Clinton become President.

[karynnj]

69. I hate to admit I was already 42.

My oldest was a couple of years younger and was very proud that she pulled the lever when we went to vote.

[mr715]

70. So you are around my parents age...

My dad liked vacillated between Brown and Clinton but was a truly rapid Clinton lover. Particularly of his intelligence and rhetorical ability.

Bill Clinton is another very interest contrast with Barack Obama, who was equally intelligent and rhetorically masterful, but applied this differently.

[karynnj]

72. I liked Brown, Tsongus and Harkin

I was concerned about environmental issues as his Arkansas record was not good. I was impressed by both Clintons' intelligence.

I was blown away by Obama.

[walkingman]

60. I prefer to leave Maine elections to voters in Maine. I would love to hear the thoughts of Mainers.

[AZProgressive]

71. I was always told to Vote Blue No Matter Who

Even if I wasn't a big fan I would still support the nominee even after my preferred candidate lost the primary.

As far as Platner he is great on policy but there are red flags in his background. I believe he has made mistakes he apologized for which is something that Trump would never do.

[Sewa]

73. But David Costello, a 65-year-old Brunswick Democrat

Long-shot Senate hopeful tells Maine Democrats Graham Platner isn’t their only option

But David Costello, a 65-year-old Brunswick Democrat who has experience in federal, state and local government, continues to make the case to voters ahead of the June 9 primary that he’s the best one to take on Republican Sen. Susan Collins in the fall.

https://www.pressherald.com/2026/05/21/longshot-senate-hopeful-tells-maine-democrats-graham-platner-isnt-their-only-option/

[AloeVera]

74. Why leak this now? Who benefits?

Fom the NYT article:

In a statement released by the campaign, [Platner's wife] Ms. Gertner suggested that she had been betrayed by Ms. McDonald, saying she was “deeply hurt” and bothered by “the invasion of our privacy.”

“I confided deeply personal details about my marriage to someone I considered a friend,” she said. “I trusted this person with the most private chapter of our lives — the early days of our marriage before any campaign was on our mind.”

Unlocked:
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/30/us/politics/graham-platner-maine-senate-texts.html?unlocked_article_code=1.mVA.N7oK.801gKbSUrwkY&smid=url-share

Are we falling into a trap here? Made too easy by a propensity to eat your own and the (apparently selective) donning of puritan robes in the ultimate "purity test".

I hope this desparate attempt to derail Platner fails. Makes me wonder though why exactly he seems such a threat to too many - on both sides.

[mr715]

76. Wait a sec... purity tests?

I thought those only worked one way.

(As a ludicrous rhetorical construction used to discredit people questioning the orthodoxy when the orthodoxy fulfill 2 conditions: being wrong AND losing elections)

[AloeVera]

79. Think of it as the Literal Purity Test.

Purity being derived from puritanical. As in a rigid insistence on moral purity.

Of course the Original Purity Test has stood the test of time and is not likely to be supplanted or replaced - not for a while at least. It's still so useful!

[Scrivener7]

75. Well. That clinches it. I will never date or marry Graham Platner.

[mr715]

77. Why not?

As I crudely suggested in a post a deleted because of initial crudeness: no one's seen the tapes. Maybe it tickles the right buttons.

[Scrivener7]

78. I wouldn't date or marry him before this came out. He's kind of a pig. But I'd vote for him if I lived in Maine.

He's the one we got.

[AloeVera]

80. Winner!