r/moderatepolitics 3d ago

News Article Graham Platner’s Wife Flagged Sexually Explicit Texts to His Senate Campaign

https://www.wsj.com/politics/elections/graham-platners-wife-flagged-sexually-explicit-texts-to-his-senate-campaign-628ec832?mod=e2tw
129 Upvotes

742 comments sorted by

View all comments

8

u/TheWyldMan 3d ago

Another day, another controversy for the Platner campaign.

Graham Platner, Maine’s presumptive Democratic nominee for United States Senate, faces intense scrutiny after his wife, Amy Gertner, revealed to campaign aides last summer that he had exchanged sexual messages with multiple women. Gertner, who married Platner in late 2023, states they overcame these indiscretions through marriage counseling and remains a prominent campaign surrogate. This damaging leak originated from former political director Genevieve McDonald, who resigned alongside other staff over Platner’s deeply controversial history, including a questionable tattoo and inflammatory Reddit posts degrading women and minorities.

While Platner is the presumed nominee, the primary still has not happened yet and Mills is still on the ballot. Should the Dems try and coordinate his defeat? It feels like there's more than less out there for Platner. Especially if this story is potentially getting ahead of texts (and possible photos) leaking.

9

u/FizzyLightEx 3d ago

I knew politics is a dirty business but leaking deeply personal marriage that the spouse confided in has to be an all time low.

15

u/spald01 3d ago

That has to be career suicide for the campaign director. So there must be more to this story. 

4

u/4rtImitatesLife 2d ago

He already fired his last campaign director, not surprised if it happens again

2

u/PreviousCurrentThing 2d ago

I'm not sure it necessarily is. Platner is seen as an outsider candidate from the Democratic establishment, so leaking against him could make her look like a "team player." It be stupid for any Platner/Bernie/Mamdani type to hire her, but this is someone who said, seemingly without irony:

“The United States Senate is not a training ground for redemption,” Ms. McDonald said. “It is a place for proven leaders with moral clarity and integrity.”

If you're a Dem politician who want to work with rather than against the establishment, I don't think you'd really have to worry hiring her. She will brazenly lie about your good character, and would gain nothing by throwing you under the bus. I'm sure she's getting plenty of kudos in private from other Dems for this move.

2

u/derrickcat 1d ago

You think that him sexting other women when he was a newlywed is a sign of other people's bad character?

Lol ok.

9

u/TheWyldMan 3d ago

Well it seems posts about him be a known cheater have been found in local "Are we dating the same guy" facebook groups have been discovered.