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Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner has emerged as one of the party’s fastest-growing political stars, garnering national attention for his flamboyant message and outspoken image.
But as his profile has grown, so has his past behavior, with controversies ranging from sexually graphic messages and offensive social media posts to Nazi-linked graffiti and campaign staff riots.
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Continuing to clean up those scandals, Platner arrived in Washington, DC on Tuesday to meet with party figures at the headquarters of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee one week before his primary election.
The veteran marine and oyster farmer has defended himself from criticism and maintained the support of prominent Democrats, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, DN.Y., and Sens. Bernie SandersVt., and Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass. Still, some have questioned whether the allegations could make it difficult for Democrats to unseat Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, in one of the nation’s most watched Senate races.
Here’s a look at the biggest controversies that have engulfed Platner’s campaign.
Text messages and alleged sexting
Senator Graham Platner is under fire, but it was his wife Amy Gertner who came out with a five-minute social media interview on the campaign trail denouncing the ‘attack’ while not denying allegations of infidelity in the new marriage. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
The most recent controversy surrounding Platner stems from reports that he exchanged sex messages with multiple women during his marriage, a matter that campaign aides are reportedly aware of as his Senate term begins.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Plattner’s wife, Amy Gertner, informed a campaign aide about the text exchange shortly after he launched his Senate bid as staff were evaluating potential political bills.
According to the report, Gertner received the messages months after the couple married in 2024 and revealed their lives before her husband had a campaign meeting with Sen. Sanders. The campaign told Politico that the aide viewed the matter as a private matter between the couple and did not raise concerns about it publicly.
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Platner’s campaign later confirmed the existence of the text exchange to Politico.
He also told Fox News Digital in a statement: “Amy and I went through something very difficult – for me. We did the work, and I thank her every hour of every day.”
“I have learned throughout this campaign that people don’t care about gossip or headlines, they care that you are fighting for their hospitals, their pay, their children… Our opponents want politics to be empty of content and without anything of real change – and beating is exactly what our movement is about,” he added.
In a statement sent to the Journal, Gertner criticized the disclosure, saying he had shared “deeply personal details” about his marriage to someone he considered a friend, only to see those details become public.
He revealed that the two attended couples counseling, resolved their marriage problems and emerged as a strong couple.
“I know who Graham is. I know the man I married and the husband he was to me through the best and worst days of my life,” Gertner said. “That hasn’t changed, and it won’t.”
A Nazi-linked tattoo
Graham Platner, a Democratic candidate for the US Senate in Maine, points to a covered tattoo previously recognized as a Nazi symbol during an interview in Portland, Maine, on Oct. 22, 2025. (WGME via AP)
Platner’s campaign has come under intense scrutiny after it was revealed that he once had a skull and crossbones tattoo on his chest that closely resembled the “Totenkopf” insignia used by Hitler’s SS troops.
The Maine Democrat said he found the painting during a “drinking night” while on vacation in Croatia in 2007 as a sailor and said he had no idea what it meant at the time.
In an Instagram video posted in May, Platner elaborated on the origin of the tattoo. He explained that he simply picked the design on a bright tattoo wall while “playing” with other Marines in Split, Croatia.
“We thought it looked cool,” he downplayed.
Platner later said he was “shocked” to learn the image resembled a Nazi symbol, saying his life and work were defined by opposition to fascism, racism and Nazism. He also noted that he was never asked about a tattoo during his time in the military.
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Rather than have it removed, Platner said she chose to cover the tattoo because tattoo removal services were not readily available near her home in Maine.
“Going to the tattoo parlor will take a while,” he told the Associated Press. “I wanted this thing in my body.”
The sign was eventually covered with a Celtic knot tattoo and pictures of dogs, which Platner said were made in honor of his family’s pets.
The deleted Reddit post featured offensive comments
US Senate candidate from Maine Graham Platner speaks during a campaign event on May 17, 2026, in Portland, Maine. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
The keystone scrutiny Platner faced when he asked to appear was thousands of deleted Reddit posts that resurfaced after he launched his Senate campaign.
In posts first reported by CNN and Politico, Platner calls himself a “communist” and a “socialist” and endorsed the slogan “all cops are b—–ds.”
In other posts, he said that those who “expect to fight fascism without a good semi-automatic rifle, should study history” and said that “an armed working class is a requirement for economic justice.”
DELETED POSTS PROMOTING VIOLENCE INCLUDE DEMOCRATIC SENATE HOPEFUL IN MAINE
Posts under his retired “P-hustle” username were removed before Platner announced his Democratic Senate bid in August.
The candidate has spoken out several times in these posts, telling CNN and Politico that he was “f—ing on the Internet” at a time when he felt “lost and very disappointed in our government that sent me overseas to watch my friends die.”
“I was making jokes without talking and I chose to fight,” said Platner. “But I’m not a socialist. I’m a small business owner, a Marine Corps veteran, and a retired s—poster.”
In the documents, Platner made lewd comments about masturbating to police officers and said a US service member who shot an enemy in Afghanistan “didn’t deserve to live.”
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The controversy did little to erode Platner’s standing in the Democratic Party as he continued to attract national attention and grassroots support in the Democratic primary to challenge Sen. Collins in his place.
Since former Democratic Maine Gov. Janet Mills suspended her campaign in April, most of the party has rallied behind Platner, and Democrats nationally have continued to support her despite the scandal.
The continuing string of past allegations and controversies has also drawn attention to a little-known provision of Maine’s election law that allows political parties to replace a nominee under certain circumstances after the primary election.
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Under state law, a candidate who wins the primary and withdraws by 5 p.m. on July 13 can be replaced by a nominee chosen by party officials. Any successor must be elected by 5 pm on July 27.
There is currently no indication that Platner plans to withdraw from the race, and the Democratic Alliance hopeful has repeatedly vowed to continue his campaign. Still, the offer has sparked renewed interest as questions persist about whether further revelations could complicate his election.
Platner’s campaign did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
