Sen. Brian Schatz Offers Surprising First Show of Public Support for Embattled Graham Platner Amid Scandal
To exit the menu, simply press the Escape key. Although he has not officially given his endorsement, it has been announced that he will be attending a virtual donor event on Sunday. On March 10, 2026, Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) addressed the audience during a news conference. | Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) is scheduled to make a significant appearance on Sunday to help mobilize donors in support of Graham Platner, the embattled Maine Senate candidate, in what can be seen as a major display of support from a prominent establishment figure. According to two donors who are familiar with the event and an invitation obtained by POLITICO, Schatz is listed as the special guest at a "virtual pre-primary event in support of Graham Platner." The tickets for the Sunday evening event range in price from $100 to $7,000, which is the maximum allowed contribution, as stated in the invitation. The invitation was circulated to donors on Friday afternoon, at a time when Platner was facing intense criticism from his fellow Democrats due to a series of scandals. A person from Schatz's campaign, who was granted anonymity to discuss internal planning, revealed that the event had been planned several weeks prior. This event marks the first public show of support from Schatz, who has not previously endorsed Platner. What makes this even more notable is Schatz's position as a rising leader in the party, currently serving as the deputy conference secretary and chief deputy whip for the Senate Democratic Caucus, and having secured the votes, as well as Chuck Schumer's endorsement, to take over the No. 2 role next year. The person from Schatz's campaign also mentioned that the senator had made a donation to Platner's campaign in May, after he became the presumptive nominee, as part of his practice of donating to battleground Democrats who have cleared their fields, although these donations have not yet been disclosed in campaign finance reports.
A person close to Platner's campaign, who was granted anonymity to share private details, confirmed the event and stated that the senator had not yet formally backed Platner. The presence of Schatz at the event is the latest indication that Senate Democrats are standing by Platner as he navigates a series of scandals. Last week, it was reported that Platner had sent sexually explicit texts to other women while he was married. Then, on Thursday, the New York Times published a report detailing new allegations of violent and disturbing behavior towards his ex-girlfriends, one of whom claimed that the Democrat was aware of the meaning of his tattoo resembling a Nazi symbol when he got it, despite his claims to the contrary. Platner has denied these allegations. He is poised to secure the Democratic nomination against GOP Sen. Susan Collins in Maine in Tuesday's primary, as he is the sole major candidate remaining, and has stated that he has "not once" considered dropping out of the race. On Friday, his campaign announced that it had raised more than $200,000 since the Times story was published, describing it as the best day of fundraising since Democratic Gov. Janet Mills suspended her campaign.
The Democratic Party has been grappling with the decision of how to respond to the intensifying controversy surrounding Graham Platner, with some members arguing that he is compromising the party's values and should withdraw from the race, while others believe that he is their most viable option to defeat Collins. The state of Maine, which was won by former Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 election, is considered the party's most prized opportunity to gain a Senate seat in this election cycle and is essentially a must-win if they hope to regain control of the chamber. Despite the controversy, Democrats and affiliated groups that have endorsed Platner have reaffirmed their support for him, including Senator Martin Heinrich of New Mexico, Representative Ro Khanna of California, VoteVets, a group that has historically been aligned with Senator Schumer, the Working Families Party, and Showing Up for Racial Justice. Graham Platner, the Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate, attended a campaign event on June 5, 2026, in Bar Harbor, Maine.
At a pre-planned rally on Friday, Platner appeared alongside Representative Ro Khanna, Matt Dunlap, the candidate for Maine's 2nd District, and Troy Jackson, the gubernatorial candidate, and expressed his gratitude to the crowd for their support. "As every single aspect of my past and journey is dug up, litigated, and weaponized, you have my back," he stated to loud applause. "And when politically motivated, serious, and false accusations are made against me, Maine, you have my back." The presence of Dunlap and Jackson, who are both competing in contested down-ballot races in the primary election on Tuesday, suggests that they believe associating with Platner will have a positive impact on Maine voters, despite the surrounding controversies.
Representative Khanna, who spoke after Platner, stated that "no one should make excuses" for the candidate's past relationships, but urged the rally attendees to give him room for redemption and focus on the upcoming battle in November. "The Democratic Party, from Schumer to Sanders, is united with a single goal: we will defeat Susan Collins in November," he said. Nevertheless, some Democrats are closely watching the outcome of the primary election on Tuesday and whether a protest vote for Mills emerges before renewing their calls for Platner to withdraw from the race.
Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) is scheduled to make a significant appearance on Sunday to help mobilize donors in support of Graham Platner, the embattled Maine Senate candidate, in what can be seen as a major display of support from a prominent establishment figure. According to two donors who are familiar with the event and an invitation obtained by POLITICO, Schatz is listed as the special guest at a "virtual pre-primary event in support of Graham Platner." The tickets for the Sunday evening event range in price from $100 to $7,000, which is the maximum allowed contribution, as stated in the invitation. The invitation was circulated to donors on Friday afternoon, at a time when Platner was facing intense criticism from his fellow Democrats due to a series of scandals. A person from Schatz's campaign, who was granted anonymity to discuss internal planning, revealed that the event had been planned several weeks prior. This event marks the first public show of support from Schatz, who has not previously endorsed Platner. What makes this even more notable is Schatz's position as a rising leader in the party, currently serving as the deputy conference secretary and chief deputy whip for the Senate Democratic Caucus, and having secured the votes, as well as Chuck Schumer's endorsement, to take over the No. 2 role next year. The person from Schatz's campaign also mentioned that the senator had made a donation to Platner's campaign in May, after he became the presumptive nominee, as part of his practice of donating to battleground Democrats who have cleared their fields, although these donations have not yet been disclosed in campaign finance reports.
A person close to Platner's campaign, who was granted anonymity to share private details, confirmed the event and stated that the senator had not yet formally backed Platner. The presence of Schatz at the event is the latest indication that Senate Democrats are standing by Platner as he navigates a series of scandals. Last week, it was reported that Platner had sent sexually explicit texts to other women while he was married. Then, on Thursday, the New York Times published a report detailing new allegations of violent and disturbing behavior towards his ex-girlfriends, one of whom claimed that the Democrat was aware of the meaning of his tattoo resembling a Nazi symbol when he got it, despite his claims to the contrary. Platner has denied these allegations. He is poised to secure the Democratic nomination against GOP Sen. Susan Collins in Maine in Tuesday's primary, as he is the sole major candidate remaining, and has stated that he has "not once" considered dropping out of the race. On Friday, his campaign announced that it had raised more than $200,000 since the Times story was published, describing it as the best day of fundraising since Democratic Gov. Janet Mills suspended her campaign.
The Democratic Party has been grappling with the decision of how to respond to the intensifying controversy surrounding Graham Platner, with some members arguing that he is compromising the party's values and should withdraw from the race, while others believe that he is their most viable option to defeat Collins. The state of Maine, which was won by former Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 election, is considered the party's most prized opportunity to gain a Senate seat in this election cycle and is essentially a must-win if they hope to regain control of the chamber. Despite the controversy, Democrats and affiliated groups that have endorsed Platner have reaffirmed their support for him, including Senator Martin Heinrich of New Mexico, Representative Ro Khanna of California, VoteVets, a group that has historically been aligned with Senator Schumer, the Working Families Party, and Showing Up for Racial Justice. Graham Platner, the Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate, attended a campaign event on June 5, 2026, in Bar Harbor, Maine.
At a pre-planned rally on Friday, Platner appeared alongside Representative Ro Khanna, Matt Dunlap, the candidate for Maine's 2nd District, and Troy Jackson, the gubernatorial candidate, and expressed his gratitude to the crowd for their support. "As every single aspect of my past and journey is dug up, litigated, and weaponized, you have my back," he stated to loud applause. "And when politically motivated, serious, and false accusations are made against me, Maine, you have my back." The presence of Dunlap and Jackson, who are both competing in contested down-ballot races in the primary election on Tuesday, suggests that they believe associating with Platner will have a positive impact on Maine voters, despite the surrounding controversies.
Representative Khanna, who spoke after Platner, stated that "no one should make excuses" for the candidate's past relationships, but urged the rally attendees to give him room for redemption and focus on the upcoming battle in November. "The Democratic Party, from Schumer to Sanders, is united with a single goal: we will defeat Susan Collins in November," he said. Nevertheless, some Democrats are closely watching the outcome of the primary election on Tuesday and whether a protest vote for Mills emerges before renewing their calls for Platner to withdraw from the race.
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