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Bernie Sanders refuses to back away from Graham Platner endorsement despite report of explicit texts to women
By Greg Norman-Diamond
Published June 02, 2026
Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., indicated he is not backing down from his endorsement of Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner, despite reports that the Democrat exchanged sexual texts with several women after marrying his wife two years ago.
Platner’s campaign confirmed the text exchanges to Politico following a report from The Wall Street Journal that claimed his wife, Amy Gertner, told a campaign aide about the texts after he launched his Senate bid as they began looking into potential political liabilities. Gertner discovered the messages months after the couple married in 2024, the Journal reported.
"Sixty percent of our people are living paycheck to paycheck. People can't afford healthcare. They can't afford groceries. They can’t afford to fill up their gas tanks. The oligarchs are planning to spend, I believe, some $90 million in a small state like Maine to defeat Graham Platner," Sanders told an MS Now reporter on Monday. "So I think maybe we should be focusing on the important issues facing working people throughout this country, not focusing on his marriage."
When asked if he was rethinking his endorsement, Sanders replied, "certainly not."
Graham Platner, Democratic Senate candidate for Maine, and Sen. Bernie Sanders, an Independent from Vermont, attend a Fighting Oligarchy event in Portland, Maine, on May 25, 2026. (Sophie Park/Bloomberg/Getty Images)
"And my understanding is that his wife, Amy, who I've met, indicated they love each other. But maybe we focus on the issues facing the American people, the people of Maine, and not the marriage issues facing Graham Platner," Sanders also said.
At another point Monday, Sanders, when pressed by reporters whether he still supported Platner, said, "Of course," and, "Why would I not?" according to The Associated Press.
CORY BOOKER ADMITS GRAHAM PLATNER 'HAS QUESTIONS TO ANSWER'
Sen. Bernie Sanders and Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner stand together during a "Fighting Oligarchy" tour stop at the Collins Center for the Arts on the University of Maine campus in Orono, Maine, on May 24, 2026. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Gertner came out to defend her husband's Senate campaign on Saturday.
"So it makes me really angry, disappointed, and I find it really shameful that there's a group of media outlets and people who are willing to spread gossip, instead of talking about real issues that Graham is running on — like healthcare and education and childcare," Gertner said in a video posted on X.
Senate candidate Graham Platner and his wife Amy Gertner. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
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"Being newly married is hard. Being newly married and going through infertility is hard. Being newly married, going through infertility, and a Senate campaign is hard," she added.
Fox News Digital’s Brie Stimson and Eric Mack contributed to this report.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/bernie-sanders-refuses-back-away-graham-platner-endorsement-despite-report-explicit-texts-women