GRAHAM PLATNER has weathered more scandals in six months than many politicians do in a lifetime. The Senate candidate from Maine (pictured) has faced controversy over a tattoo associated with Nazism and bigoted social-media posts from his past. Now he is in trouble over explicit messages apparently sent to women on Kik, a messaging app with a relatively young user base that is often associated with sexting. Mr Platner is married—and it was his wife who alerted his campaign to the behaviour last year, fearing it might become a political liability.
That leaves Democrats in an awkward position. Until recently, Mr Platner appeared to have secured the party’s nomination. His main challenger, Janet Mills, a two-term Democratic governor, suspended her campaign in April. Yet on June 1st she posted from her campaign’s X account for the first time since, fuelling speculation that she may re-enter the race before the party’s primary on June 9th. The implications extend beyond that contest. Maine is one of four seats Democrats are likely to need if they are to regain control of the Senate in November.