Graham Platner, the combative Maine oyster farmer and Marine veteran who upended the plans of Democratic leaders to run a moderate against Republican Senator Susan Collins, suspended his campaign on Wednesday in the wake of new sexual assault allegations, paving the way for another candidate to take his place on the November ballot.
“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
Platner's withdrawal comes two days after Jenny Racicot, a 41-year-old Maine resident, told Politico that Platner entered her home in 2021 "deeply intoxicated" and forced her to have sex with him. Racicot said she had an "on-and-off relationship" with Platner at the time. “I remember the specific moment where I thought to myself, like, ‘This is no longer my choice,’” she said.
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’s exit scrambles Democrats’ plans to regain control of the Senate for the final two years of Donald Trump’s presidency. Democrats need to flip four Senate seats and Collins is one of their top targets.
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.
Democrats in Washington on Monday were reviewing Maine election law, which allows the party to replace their candidate if Platner withdrew by 5 p.m. on July 13. Party officials would then have two weeks to choose a replacement.
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.
Platner denied the allegations in a statement to Politico, calling them “false” and “categorically untrue.” He went on to post a video on social media shortly after the new allegations surfaced, again denying the allegations but acknowledging their seriousness. "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,” he said.
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.
Late Tuesday, The Washington Post reported that a different ex-girlfriend alleged that Platner repeatedly removed condoms without her consent when they were having sex, allegations the Platner campaign described as "categorically false and politically motivated.”
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.”
Maine had appeared to offer Democrats a rare opportunity. It is the only state that former Vice President Kamala Harris won in 2024 that is represented by a Republican Senator running for re-election. (Republicans are defending a retiring Senator’s seat in North Carolina.) Yet Collins, a five-term incumbent, has held the seat by presenting herself as an independent-minded Republican while maintaining just enough support from her party’s base.
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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