‘I Am Still On The Ballot’: Janet Mills Reappears As Platner Stumbles

Maine Gov. Janet Mills is reminding Democratic voters that she hasn’t actually left the Senate race, even as Democrat frontrunner Graham Platner faces growing scrutiny over the latest controversy to engulf his campaign.

The comments come at a difficult moment for Platner, the left-wing oyster farmer whose insurgent campaign effectively pushed Mills out of the race earlier this year but who now finds himself defending a fresh round of damaging headlines just days before Maine Democrats head to the polls.

“People have the impression that I ‘withdrew’ or ‘dropped out,'” Mills told the Portland Press Herald in an interview Monday. “I simply suspended active campaigning. I am still on the ballot.”

According to reporting from both The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times, Platner admitted sending sexually explicit text messages to multiple women after marrying his wife, Amy Gertner, in 2023. While Platner has disputed aspects of the reporting, his campaign has not denied the existence of the messages.

“Graham isn’t saying the texts to other women at the start of the marriage are not real. They are,” a campaign official said.

The controversy is only the latest in a string of politically damaging revelations that have followed Platner throughout his campaign.

Earlier this year, the Democrat faced questions over a tattoo resembling a Nazi symbol, which he later covered. Old social media posts and Reddit comments resurfaced showing Platner making inflammatory remarks, including comments praising aspects of fascism and insulting American service members.

More recently, a Daily Wire review found that Platner maintains an active account on Kik, an anonymous messaging platform that has long faced criticism from child-safety advocates and law enforcement officials because of its association with sexual predators and child exploitation cases.

The account, registered under the username “phustle0331,” closely mirrors usernames Platner has used on Instagram and Reddit. The profile photo appears to depict a shirtless man with tattoos matching those worn by Platner.

Those concerns are expected to be front and center Tuesday when Platner meets with Democratic senators in Washington, D.C. According to Axios, senators plan to question him directly about the allegations surrounding the sexually explicit messages.

Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) publicly acknowledged concerns over the weekend.

“Yes, I have concerns,” Booker said. “That guy has questions to answer. And that’s what campaigns are for.”

The Washington meetings are also expected to serve as a test of whether Platner can reassure major Democratic donors and party leaders that the race remains winnable despite the scandals.

The stakes are significant. Maine is one of the few Republican-held Senate seats Democrats believe they have a realistic chance of flipping in 2026. With control of the Senate potentially hanging in the balance, many Democrats fear that continued controversy could squander one of their strongest pickup opportunities.

Platner has attempted to push back aggressively against the latest reports, accusing journalists of sensationalism and arguing voters should focus on policy issues instead.

“Our opponents want politics to be empty of content and empty of actual change,” Platner said Sunday.

Some of his allies have echoed that message. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), one of Platner’s earliest and most prominent supporters, suggested Monday that attention should remain focused on economic issues rather than the candidate’s marriage.

But Mills’ comments highlight an uncomfortable reality for Democrats: despite suspending her campaign in April, she remains on the ballot and continues to attract attention as questions about Platner’s viability intensify.

Whether Democratic voters decide to stick with the party’s insurgent frontrunner or look for an alternative remains one of the biggest unanswered questions heading into next week’s primary.

For now, Mills is making sure voters remember that an alternative still exists.