Tipsheet

Graham Platner Is About to Have a Very Awkward Meeting With Senate Dems Tomorrow

Matt Vespa
Matt Vespa  |  June 01, 2026 11:30 PM

It wasn’t the Nazi tattoo but the sexting, huh? That’s the straw that broke the camel’s back. Graham Platner has been in the news for weeks, mainly because of his SS tattoo, which he cleaned up, apologized for, and then retracted the apology. That was a preview of what was to come and how this campaign handled public relations issues. He’s running to unseat incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) in a race that’s considered a must-win for Democrats if they want to flip the Senate. 

The surprising part is that this appears to be information uncovered by Democrats. We haven’t even begun to explore the GOP's opposition research, which is why Platner is meeting with Senate Democrats tomorrow. It could be a very awkward meeting. It’s definitely not going to be a pep rally. It might turn out to be a very tense political intervention (via Axios):

Maine Democratic Senate primary frontrunner Graham Platner is scheduled to meet with Democratic senators in Washington on Tuesday afternoon, according to two people familiar with the plans.

Why it matters: The long-planned meeting will give senators an opportunity to ask Platner directly about allegations that he sent sexually explicit text messages to as many as a dozen women in 2023, according to reporting by The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times.

Over the weekend, Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) indicated he had questions about the allegations.

"Yes, I have concerns," Booker said on ABC News. "That guy has questions to answer. And that's what campaigns are for."

Zoom out: Democrats are increasingly concerned about Platner's viability in a must-win Senate race and whether the revelations about the text messages represent the campaign's final embarrassment — or merely its latest.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) backed Gov. Janet Mills in the race, but she suspended her campaign last month.

Platner is also scheduled to attend a couple of fundraisers in DC, including one hosted by Ron Klain, a former chief of staff to former President Biden.

Since the sexting story dropped over the weekend, it’s been an all-out blitz against Platner, though it’s all from Democrats, and it’s been brutal. Will he be advised to drop out? We shall see.