Former state Rep. Genevieve McDonald has resigned as political director from Graham Platner’s U.S. Senate campaign following the release of controversial and offensive Reddit posts Platner made several years ago.
The posts, made under the username “P-Hustle,” included comments promoting violence, making racist and xenophobic remarks, and referring to police officers as “bastards,” according to reports from CNN and Politico.
In her resignation, McDonald told the Bangor Daily News that she was unaware of Platner’s past statements when she joined the campaign. She said the “they are not words or values I can stand behind.”
McDonald, most recently a lobbyist for Preti Strategies, had captained a commercial fishing boat before she represented a Downeast district including Stonington in the Maine House and was among the most prominent Democrats to initially back Platner’s campaign.
Platner, a Marine veteran and oyster farmer, has since disavowed some of the rhetoric. He said the remarks were made when he was “f*****g around on the internet” and feeling “disillusioned” after military service, adding that his views have changed since then.
The scandal comes shortly after Gov. Janet Mills entered the Democratic primary race for the U.S. Senate seat, setting up a potential contest between Mills and Platner to take on Republican Sen. Susan Collins in 2026.
The controversy marks the most serious challenge yet for Platner’s campaign, which had gained early momentum and raised nearly $5 million since its launch in late August.
