Schumer Reaffirms Platner Endorsement as Some Democrats Voice Concerns

Recent reports about Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner’s messages have divided Democrats days before the primary.

Graham Platner, Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate, greets supporters after speaking at an event hosted by Sen. Bernie Sanders in Orono, Maine, on May 24, 2026. Robert F. Bukaty/AP

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) reaffirmed his endorsement of Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner on June 2, telling reporters he had met with Platner and would work to defeat Republican incumbent Sen. Susan Collins in November.

The comments were Schumer’s first on camera since reports surfaced over the weekend that Platner had sent sexually explicit messages to other women while newly married.