Graham Platner, the Maine Democratic Senate primary candidate, is expected to win on June 9, setting up a potential high-stakes race against Republican Senator Susan Collins. As the spotlight grows on the candidate, many are asking about his family, including his wife Amy Gertner and his parents.
Amy Gertner, Platner's wife, is a former elementary and middle school art teacher who met Platner through friends before matching on the dating app Bumble. The couple runs the Waukeag Neck Oyster Company in Maine and earns around $60,000 a year, partly through Platner's veterans' benefits.
Platner's parents, Bronson Platner and Leslie Harlow, are divorced and have a complex relationship with their son. Bronson Platner, an 81-year-old local attorney, has donated over $65,000 to federal Democratic candidates, including $3,500 to Senator Ruben Gallego weeks after Gallego endorsed his son. Leslie Harlow, a 72-year-old business owner, has also been involved in politics and hosted fundraisers at her inn and event space.
Despite Platner's working-class image, critics have pointed to his privileged background, including his father's donations and his own attendance at the elite Hotchkiss School. Platner has pushed back on the narrative, saying he has never been close to money and power, and his mother has defended him, saying they raised their children with strong values and beliefs.
