Overview
- The Platner campaign has confirmed that he exchanged sexually explicit text messages with multiple women while married and his wife told campaign aides about the messages before the story broke.
- Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer met with Platner on Tuesday and publicly endorsed him, while other senators ranged from full defense to sharp criticism.
- Reporting by multiple outlets has also renewed focus on Platner’s earlier controversies, including offensive archived posts and a chest tattoo he has since covered that resembled a Nazi-linked symbol.
- Platner traveled to Washington for meetings and a DSCC huddle on Tuesday as national groups and outside spending have poured into the Maine race ahead of the June 9 primary.
- Voters in Maine must decide next week whether the confirmed personal revelations and prior conduct outweigh Democrats’ stake in flipping the seat, and party leaders say the outcome will determine how they handle the general election contest.