Dem
47
GOP
53
The New York Times published a story last Thursday about oysterperson and Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner that could shake up the race. Platner is the presumptive Democratic nominee because all the other Democrats have suspended their campaigns.
Platner has openly talked about his struggles with PTSD, depression and drinking after serving in combat in Iraq for 6 years in the Marine Corps and 2 years in combat in Afghanistan in the Maryland Army National Guard. But the Times story is still unsettling. Multiple former girlfriends have told reporters that he was toxic, drank heavily, and was regularly unfaithful. He said that his ability to serve Mainers in the Senate should not be judged by his poor behavior with women years ago. However, although Platner has been married since 2023, as recently as last year, he was still exchanging sexual text messages with a dozen women. His wife, Amy Gertner, made a direct-to-camera 5-minute video talking about her marriage and their struggle with infertility while fending off Maine's finest insects. Here it is.
In the video, Gertner says that no marriage is perfect and that they each have a personal counselor as well as a marriage counselor and that they love each other. But will the voters love him after yet another revelation of Bad Behavior on his part? One thing that is important but which we don't know is whether the texting was consensual. If the women enjoyed the flirting that is different from Platner harassing them. Of course, voters who have had enough of Susan Collins may not care. After all, Donald Trump has behaved far worse than Platner and his voters forgive him over and over and over and over.
One thing Platner has pointed out in his defense is that one of the women who was a source for the Times story, Lyndsey Fifield, is a lifelong Republican campaign operative who has spent her life trying to take down Democrats. She was an adviser to Nikki Haley during Haley's 2024 presidential campaign and before that worked for the Heritage Foundation. They dated in their 20s, long before Platner was thinking about running for office. She admitted that their relationship was rocky. Last summer she told friends she would personally campaign for Collins. Platner said that her testimony is political and cannot be taken seriously. He also gave the Times the names of three other women he dated over a period of 7 years. All three praised him, calling him a "gentle giant," "a great boyfriend," and "super kind."
Platner also blamed the media for spreading gossip. That's what ordinary politicians do. He is running as a working-class insurgent. He would have been better off saying he spent 8 years in combat watching his friends being blown to bits and that makes you a different person than someone pushing papers on a desk for 8 years. He could have said he is running for the Senate to try to stop more pointless wars and more guys being messed up by fighting in them. Blaming stupid wars for his behavior would probably have been a better response than blaming the media for his bad behavior. He could even have tried jiu-jitsu and blamed Collins for voting to authorize the Iraq war that so traumatized him. That would make his behavior her fault.
Part of the problem is that Democrats have a tendency to love outsiders who support the issues they care about but who have not been vetted. Senator is not an entry-level job. Maybe it is better to run Senate candidates who have held some lower office first and who have been through the wringer once or twice so that most of the oppo is already out there. That said, Mainers are picking a senator, not a boyfriend, and the requirements for the two positions are different.
Reactions of Democratic politicians are mixed. Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) said that the allegations were "beyond disturbing." Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-NY) is worried that Platner's personal life could foil the Democrats' chances to take the Senate. On the other hand, Bernie Sanders said Platner was the only one in the race who would address a rigged economy, endless wars, and a corrupt campaign finance system.
We have a fair number of reader letters about Platner that we did not get to run yesterday, so instead we'll run them tomorrow. If any other readers have thoughts about him, or about this race, let us know at comments@electoral-vote.com. (V)