Topline
Graham Platner’s odds of securing one of Maine’s Senate seats have decreased further amid a sexting controversy, even as his wife and progressive leaders have defended his reputation as a husband and lawmaker.
Platner is the presumptive Democratic nominee for the Senate in Maine.
Photo by Sophie Park/Getty Images
Key Facts
Platner’s odds dropped to 54% on Wednesday, with Kalshi showing 46% odds for incumbent Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine.
Platner is the presumptive Democratic nominee for the Senate in Maine ahead of a primary on June 9.
Platner’s odds were as high as 72% last month, according to Kalshi, which shows a 6% drop in odds since multiple reports said his wife, Amy Gertner, told the Democratic nominee’s campaign last year about sexual texts he sent to multiple women.
Polymarket has shown better odds for Platner despite the slide, reaching 63% on Wednesday.
$1.1 million worth of predictions have been made on Kalshi for Maine’s Senate race as betting volume reached nearly $400,000 on Polymarket.
Tangent
Gov. Janet Mills, D-Maine, reminded voters amid Platner’s controversy that despite suspending her campaign for the Democratic nomination in April, she is still on the ballot, telling the Portland Press Herald “people have the impression that I ‘withdrew’ or ‘dropped out.’”
Key Background
Platner spoke alongside his wife at a campaign event this week, saying he was not surprised “establishment media outlets” were running “gossip” instead of issues that “actually matter in this race.” Gertner said in a video published by Platner’s campaign she was “really angry, disappointed” that her disclosure to her husband’s campaign was made public. Progressives have also backed Platner up amid the controversy, with Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., telling the Associated Press that as voters deal with rising living costs, “I think it might be a good idea if we focused on the important issues facing the working families of Maine and this country.” Platner, an oyster farmer and Marine Corps veteran who has not held elected office prior to his Senate run, also dealt with a separate controversy last year during which old social media posts resurfaced and reportedly showed him referring to himself as a “communist” in addition to calling white people in rural areas racist and stupid. His posts also encouraged people to not take substances to avoid being raped. Platner apologized for the posts and referred to the “disillusionment” he felt after returning to the U.S. following tours in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Further Reading
Graham Platner And His Wife Dismiss Reports Of His Alleged Sexting As ‘Gossip’ (Forbes)
Progressive Leaders Brush Off Graham Platner’s Sexting Controversy: ‘He Has Grown’ (Forbes)