Maine Gov. Janet Mills reminds voters that she is still on the ballot amid Graham Platner scandal

Democratic Maine Gov. Jane Mills reminded voters Sunday that she is still on the ballot in next week's Senate Democratic primary as constituents grapple with reports that candidate Graham Platner allegedly exchanged sexually explicit text messages with several women earlier in his marriage.

The revelation came out this weekend that Platner's wife Amy Gertner alerted his campaign to the texts in August 2025 after discovering the messages earlier that year. 

Campaign aides reportedly reviewed the matter during an internal vetting process shortly after Platner launched his Senate bid, but staff members ultimately decided the issue was personal and did not pose a political threat to the campaign, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Mills told Sun Journal columnist Steve Collins that although she suspended her campaign for the Democratic nomination, she was still an option for voters who do not wish to vote for Platner. 

“People have the impression that I ‘withdrew’ or ‘dropped out,’ but I simply suspended active campaigning," Mills said. "I am still on the ballot."

The governor received support from multiple Democratic leaders before she suspended her campaign over low funding, including an endorsement from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. She suspended her campaign in April.

The sexting allegations are just the latest in a series of controversies surrounding Platner’s campaign. In recent months, he has faced criticism over resurfaced Reddit posts containing offensive language and over a tattoo that critics said resembled a Nazi-associated symbol. Platner has apologized for the posts and said the tattoo was a mistake he later covered over.

The Democratic primary is scheduled to take place on June 9. 

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.