Maine Democratic Senate nominee Graham Platner is facing a massive wave of high-profile defections and calls to exit the race following a report accusing him of a 2021 sexual assault, throwing the high-stakes campaign into immediate jeopardy.
Platner issued a direct, categorical denial of the allegations on Monday, but the pushback from inside his own party was swift.
“Any accusation of non-consensual behavior is categorically false,” Platner said in a video address, noting that he is taking time to reflect on the best path forward.
Despite his denial, national and local Democrats quickly moved to distance themselves from the candidate. Representative Ro Khanna of California, a prominent progressive who had previously stood by Platner through prior controversies, withdrew his support on Monday.
“I’ve been very clear that sexual assault or violence against women is a red line,” Khanna said. “These allegations are very serious and credible. Graham Platner should drop out from the race. I am withdrawing my endorsement.”
Arizona Senator Ruben Gallego and the prominent political action group End Citizens United also announced they were pulling their endorsements. Within Maine, the top leadership of the state Democratic Party issued a joint statement demanding that Platner step down.
“Over the past several weeks, multiple women have made serious, credible allegations against Graham Platner. Today’s statements take those allegations even further,” said Maine Democratic Party Chair Charlie Dingman, Vice Chair Imke Schessler, and Executive Director Devon Murphy-Anderson.
The party leaders emphasized the importance of the race against incumbent Republican Senator Susan Collins, stating, “This Senate race comes at a pivotal moment in the struggle against a government, supported by Senator Collins, that serves the interests of the wealthy and powerful at the expense of ordinary Maine people. It is essential that we refocus this campaign on that struggle.”
The political crisis comes with a ticking clock. Though Platner commandingly won the Democratic primary, state election law dictates that he must formally withdraw by July 13 to be replaced on the ballot. If he steps aside by that deadline, the party has until July 27 to name a replacement candidate.
Signs of a campaign in retreat emerged Monday as Platner canceled a handful of scheduled town halls across Maine.
The explosive allegation was first reported by Politico, which detailed three interviews with Jenny Racicot, a 41-year-old Maine resident. Racicot, who had an on-and-off relationship with Platner for over two years, alleged that he entered her rural home uninvited while deeply intoxicated in late 2021 and forced himself on her despite her repeated demands for him to stop.
Platner, a Marine veteran and former private security contractor, ran as a first-time insurgent candidate with heavy backing from the party’s left wing. However, his campaign has been continuously dogging by controversy. He has faced intense scrutiny for a chest tattoo recognized as a Nazi symbol, a history of bigoted and bombastic social media posts, and a New York Times report indicating he reportedly sent explicit text messages to other women shortly after getting married.
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