Graham Platner, the Democratic Party nominee for U.S. Senate in Maine, announced on Monday that he would take “time to reflect on the best way forward” following a new report from Politico accusing him of sexual assault.
The allegation was made by Jenny Racicot, a 41-year-old Maine resident, who detailed the incident to Politico across three interviews conducted over the past two weeks. Racicot stated she had an on-and-off relationship with Platner for more than two years.
According to the report, Racicot said Platner entered her rural Maine home uninvited one night in late 2021 while deeply intoxicated and forced himself on her despite her repeatedly telling him to stop. She stated that she severed contact with Platner after informing him that the encounter was not consensual.
Platner denied the allegation in a video address released on Monday. While maintaining a defiant tone regarding the accuracy of the report, he indicated that his campaign against incumbent Republican Senator Susan Collins may not continue.
“I wanted to directly address the troubling, serious, and false allegations against me. Any accusation of non-consensual behavior is categorically false,” Platner said.
In his video statement, Platner emphasized the scale of his campaign, noting that 154,058 Mainers voted for him in the June 9th primary.
— Graham Platner for Senate (@grahamformaine) July 6, 2026
“So, regardless of the inaccuracy of the reporting, but mindful of the political reality it will inflict, we are taking the time to reflect on the best path forward for the state that I love, the people that I love, the movement I belong to, and the goal of defeating Susan Collins,” Platner said. “Those were the goals when we launched this campaign, and they remain my goals today.”
He added: “Throughout it all, you never turned your back on me, and I will not turn my back on you now. Every one of you deserves to see that vision come to fruition and see Susan Collins defeated, and we will use every tool at our disposal to do so.”
This latest development follows a series of controversies that have followed Platner since he entered the Senate race. Previous reports revealed that Platner has a Nazi tattoo on his chest, and he has faced scrutiny over bigoted and bombastic past social media posts.
In early June, the New York Times published a report in which several women described Platner’s past behavior as “unsettling.” The women stated in interviews that Platner “could be charming and charismatic… but also demeaning to women and, in at least one case, even physically threatening.” The New York Times report also stated that Platner “drank heavily and was regularly unfaithful.”
READ: Pennsylvania Sen. Fetterman And Platner Trade Insults As Maine Senate Race Heats Up
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