SULLIVAN, Maine — Alleged sleazeball Senate hopeful Graham Platner’s soiled laundry is the discuss of his tiny Maine city simply days forward of a nail-biter main — with some saying the Democrat’s unsavory conduct shouldn’t be match for workplace.
Platner — who’s operating to unseat Maine’s longtime Republican incumbent Sen. Susan Collins — was uncovered by the Wall Road Journal for sexting girls on a lurid hookup app whereas he was married after which by the New York Occasions for being a drunken woman-hater who as soon as locked an ex-girlfriend in a bed room.
And locals in Sullivan, inhabitants 1,200, are downright disgusted.
“Nobody like that ought to run for workplace. That’s silly,” a resident named Esther informed The Submit on Wednesday, whereas her 85-year-old husband agreed.
Retiree Barbara Watkins, 89, referred to as Platner’s multitude of scandals “horrible.”
“He ought to drop out and go away,” she mentioned.
Platner, who married his spouse in 2023, sexted with no less than six girls on the app, Kik — his profile image that includes a shirtless rest room selfie beneath the username Phustle0331.
His lurid conduct was flagged by his spouse, Amy Gertner, to marketing campaign aides as they performed opposition analysis on their candidate in August.
However the 41-year-old’s spouse took to social media to defend her husband, explaining they’d transfer by way of their marital issues and have been blissful.
A few of Platner’s hometowners weren’t so satisfied, nonetheless, together with girls who sympathized together with his spouse.
“I don’t suppose it’s proper for him to do this,” mentioned 50-year-old Susan Harmon. “Clearly, he thinks it’s alright, however I really feel unhealthy for his spouse.”
And 87-year-old Navy vet Colby A. Younger referred to as Platner “an fool.”
“He speaks like one and talks like one,” Younger mentioned.
The sexting state of affairs was simply the newest scandal to canine Platner within the 9 months since he entered the general public eye — he was uncovered for posting vile feedback on-line concerning the likes of rape victims, cops and minorities, and claimed he had no concept that he had a Nazi “dying’s head” tattoo on his chest for almost 20 years.
He then spent the following months promising voters there have been no extra skeletons in his previous — saying in order not too long ago as April at a Maine city corridor after which promising Democrats the identical factor this week.
The newest polling nonetheless locations Platner, who’s been endorsed by Sens. Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren and Senate Majority Chief Chuck Schumer, forward of the pack, and beating Collins by a greater than 7-point lead.
A Platner win would upset Sullivan’s longstanding conservative report — the tiny city voted purple within the 2024 and 2020 elections, voting Collins in for one more time period six years in the past over her Democratic opponent by almost 20 factors.
And a few of his followers are nonetheless eager to assist him — even when they don’t like how he’s acted prior to now.
“As a married girl, I’m not likely thrilled about it, but when that’s so far as it went and their capable of work by way of it collectively in their very own relationship, I believe that’s an important factor,” 55-year-old Nicole Esther mentioned.
“It’s actually none of my enterprise both approach.”
