“We believe for the movement to continue, it can’t be me and for that reason, we are suspending campaign operations,” Platner said in an extended video message posted online in which he continued to deny the allegations
Soon after Racicot’s allegations became public on Monday, prominent Platner supporters began rescinding their endorsements and encouraging him to drop out. Platner's campaign had already been defined by scrutiny of his past online comments and a tattoo appearing to resemble Nazi iconography that he later covered up.
Platner was never the top choice of Democratic leaders like Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, who had recruited Maine Gov. Janet Mills to run. But Mills, who would have become the oldest freshman Senator ever if elected at age 79, found her Senate bid overshadowed by Platner’s momentum, even as concerns about his vulnerabilities mounted. She suspended her campaign in April and Platner went on to win the June primary with 72% of the vote.
Platner’s campaign, apparently bracing for the story to be published, canceled or postponed several events in recent days. He skipped a Fourth of July parade in Machias, postponed a Sunday town hall in Augusta, and postponed Monday’s event in Gorham. A Sanford town hall was taken off his events page.
But some of his biggest champions were already walking away. Several prominent Platner boosters, including Senators Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Rep. Ro Khanna of California, quickly called on him to drop out. Establishment Democratic voices, including the party’s official Senate campaign arm, its central Senate super PAC, and the chair of the Democratic National Committee, all but told Platner he was no longer a welcome guest in their tent.
The reports followed weeks of scrutiny over Platner’s past, including accounts of a difficult period after he returned from deployment. Party leaders met with him in Washington in June, where he assured them that no further damaging details would emerge. Two days later, the New York Times published a report, which included comments from Racicot. The Politico story added new details to Racicot’s account. Hours after Politico published its story, CNN aired an interview with Racicot. As she explained her relationship and described the alleged sexual assault, the on-screen caption read: “Woman Who Dated Graham Platner Says He Raped Her in 2021.”
If Platner’s replacement can’t compete with Collins, Democrats’ path to a Senate majority would depend on picking up at least four Republican-held seats in states including Ohio, Iowa, North Carolina, Alaska, and Texas, all of which Trump won, while holding seats in Georgia, Michigan, and New Hampshire.
As Democrats try to move beyond Platner’s campaign, the episode is likely to renew questions about the party’s recruitment and vetting of candidates. In Mills, Democrats had a seasoned insider whose biggest vulnerability was her age. Instead, the party opted for a progressive newcomer who ultimately proved untested and a liability.
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