Graham Platner, the likely Democratic nominee for Senate in Maine who is facing new scrutiny of his past behavior, came to Washington on Tuesday and drew a nervous and somewhat standoffish reception from the Senate Democrats he hoped to join.
Mr. Platner, an oyster farmer who is running against Senator Susan Collins, a five-term Republican, invited the entire Senate Democratic caucus for an afternoon meeting, but only about half a dozen senators were seen entering the building for the meeting.
Earlier, Mr. Platner had a 30-minute, one-on-one session with Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the minority leader, according to two people briefed on the meeting. Mr. Schumer had endorsed Mr. Platner’s primary opponent before she suspended her campaign a month ago.
Speaking to reporters at the Capitol, Mr. Schumer dodged repeated questions about Mr. Platner after reports last weekend that the candidate had sent sexual messages to women outside his marriage. The revelations stoked worries among some Democrats that Mr. Platner, who has already survived several controversies, has more political baggage that has yet to emerge.
“I met with Graham Platner today,” Mr. Schumer said. “We’re going to beat Susan Collins and take back the Senate.”
As reporters pressed Mr. Schumer about his confidence in Mr. Platner, he repeated three more times that Democrats would defeat Ms. Collins — and noted once that he had endorsed Mr. Platner — before ending his news media availability.
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