Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner, the Bernie Sanders-backed Democrat running for office in Maine, is confronting a new personal scandal his own campaign has officially confirmed. According to multiple reports, Platner exchanged sexually explicit text messages with women early in his marriage to wife Amy Gertner.

What distinguishes this incident is how it came to light: Gertner reportedly disclosed the exchanges to campaign aides during the campaign’s internal opposition research process. The campaign released a video of Gertner addressing the situation publicly on May 30. Campaign officials stated that aides discovered the messages were part of a private matter handled through marriage counseling, but Gertner clarified she had confided in an aide she considered a friend about the texts sent early in their relationship.

Gertner’s public statement reframed the narrative as a breach of privacy rather than justification for the content, stating: “I confided deeply personal details about my marriage to someone I considered a friend. In the months since, I have had to watch as she spread malicious gossip to anyone who would take her call.” She emphasized their shared struggle with fertility and commitment to their relationship, saying they “came through it… because of how much we love each other and the life we’ve built.”

The campaign acknowledged reports that Gertner indicated Platner exchanged messages with up to a dozen women, while another current campaign worker cited figures as high as six. A University of New Hampshire poll shows Platner leading Republican Senator Susan Collins among Maine voters at 51 percent to 42 percent, though his own team has faced scrutiny over past controversies including a removed tattoo resembling a Nazi symbol and prior Reddit comments regarding sexual assault and crude remarks.

Platner’s campaign confirmed the text exchanges occurred during their early marriage in spring 2025, with aides conducting opposition research ahead of a major rally supporting Senator Bernie Sanders. The scandal emerges amid growing concerns about the candidate’s record as Maine voters weigh his viability after Governor Janet Mills withdrew from the race in April.