Sen. Cory Booker admitted Sunday that he has concerns about scandal-plagued Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner after reports revealed the Democrat allegedly sent sexually explicit messages to numerous women during his marriage.
“Yeah, I have concerns. The guy has questions to answer, and that’s what campaigns are for,” Booker said during an appearance on ABC News’ “This Week.”
Booker stopped short of directly addressing the specific allegations against Platner, instead pivoting to the broader stakes surrounding Democratic efforts to retake control of the Senate.
“I know that so much is riding on Democrats taking control of the Senate,” Booker said. “That this election, if we do not get the votes necessary to take care of the House and the Senate, we will continue to have an out-of-control president.”
Maine’s Senate race has become one of the most closely watched contests in the country, with incumbent Sen. Susan Collins viewed as one of Democrats’ top targets heading into November.
The controversy surrounding Platner exploded Saturday after reports surfaced alleging that his wife alerted campaign officials about a pattern of sexting messages sent to multiple women over recent years.
Platner married his wife, Amy Gertner, in 2023.
Reports also revealed that Platner maintained an account on Kik, an encrypted messaging app frequently associated with hookups and anonymous conversations.
According to reports, the Democratic candidate may have messaged as many as a dozen women, though the precise number remains disputed.
Other Democrats also appeared uneasy discussing the controversy during Sunday interview appearances.
Sen. Andy Kim largely sidestepped questions about Platner while appearing on CNN’s “State of the Union.”
“With any campaign in the country, the character and the transparency about the different candidates is going to come out,” Kim said. “And the voters will decide.”
Sen. Chris Murphy similarly avoided weighing in directly, telling CBS News he had not “followed this story as closely.”
Platner has already faced a growing list of controversies throughout the campaign.
Last year, scrutiny intensified after revelations that he once had a tattoo resembling a Totenkopf, or “death’s head,” symbol associated with the Nazi SS.
Platner claimed he got the tattoo while drunk in Croatia in 2007 and denied understanding its historical connection at the time. He later covered it with a different design.
Additional scrutiny emerged over old Reddit posts tied to Platner in which he allegedly mocked a Purple Heart recipient, defended Marines urinating on dead Taliban fighters, and made inflammatory comments about race and war.
One resurfaced post criticized a soldier who sacrificed himself while drawing Taliban fire away from fellow troops.
“This video never gets old,” Platner allegedly wrote. “Dumb mother—er didn’t deserve to live.”
Despite the mounting scandals, Platner currently maintains a polling advantage over Collins, leading by roughly 7.8 percentage points in the latest RealClearPolitics polling average.
Collins, however, has historically outperformed polling expectations, including during her 2020 victory over Democrat Sara Gideon.
The post Cory Booker Raises Concerns About Democrat Graham Platner Amid Growing Sexting Scandal appeared first on Real News Now.
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