Maine Senate Candidate Graham Platner Meets With Democrats Amid Scandals Democrats’ uneasy handling of Graham Platner’s scandals has exposed a split between party leaders intent on flipping a Senate seat and skeptics who see a character test they’re failing.

Senate leadership has inched toward backing Platner, the presumptive Democratic nominee against Sen. Susan Collins, but only after days of hedging. The Washington Examiner describes Democrats “keeping the progressive insurgent at arm’s length” amid an extramarital sexting scandal and earlier uproar over “past racist and sexist Reddit posts” and “a tattoo of a Nazi symbol.” Even so, Chuck Schumer ultimately reiterated, “I endorsed Graham Platner… We’re going to beat Susan Collins and take back the Senate.” The Washington Times likewise reports Schumer “refused… to address mounting controversies,” instead repeating that Democrats will defeat Collins.

Other Democrats frame the storm as survivable collateral damage in a high‑stakes race. Kirsten Gillibrand called herself “very optimistic” about beating Collins and voiced “confidence that we are going to win Maine,” despite questions about Platner’s conduct. Bernie Sanders, pointing to “close to $100 million in TV ads” booked against Platner in Maine, asked, “Why are they spending so much money trying to defeat this guy? … he’s going to stand up to the oligarchies.”

Yet that message collides with images of Platner being heckled by about 30 protesters over his history on KiK, “a site known for facilitating teen hookups,” during his D.C. visit. And some Democrats are openly hostile: John Fetterman labeled Platner a “creep” over his sexting and a “clear Nazi tattoo,” likening him to a “Nazi sympathizer” and challenging colleagues who “continue to defend” or “dismiss” the behavior.

The contrast is stark: a leadership bloc betting that policy stakes and outside spending justify circling the wagons, versus a dissenting wing warning that normalizing Platner’s record on sex and extremism may cost Democrats more than a single Senate seat.