Senate Democratic leaders and the Maine state party withdrew their support for Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner on Monday, calling on him to end his campaign immediately.
A woman named Jenny Racicot told Politico that Platner entered her home drunk in 2021 and forced her to have sex after she told him to stop.
Racicot, who lives in Maine, said she had been in an on-and-off relationship with Platner but cut off contact after that night and told him the incident was not consensual.
Platner denied the allegation but signaled his campaign was in flux, saying his team would be “taking the time to reflect on the best path forward.”
“Regardless of the inaccuracy of the reporting but mindful of the political reality it will inflict, we’re taking the time to reflect on the best path forward,” Platner said in a video posted to social media.
The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee declared it would spend no money on the Maine race if Platner remained the nominee, calling the seat critical to the party’s hopes of retaking the Senate.
“Graham Platner needs to immediately withdraw as the Democratic nominee for Senate and allow Maine Democrats the opportunity to choose a new candidate who can defeat Susan Collins,” said DSCC chair Kirsten Gillibrand and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer in a joint statement.
Democratic National Committee chair Ken Martin added to the pressure, stating plainly that “Maine Democrats should select a new nominee” shortly after the Politico report was published.
Rep. Ro Khanna of California, who had previously stood by Platner through earlier controversies, withdrew his endorsement and called the latest allegations a clear line he would not cross.
“I’ve been very clear that sexual assault or violence against women is a red line,” Khanna said, adding, “These allegations are very serious and credible. Graham Platner should drop out from the race. I am withdrawing my endorsement.”
Arizona Sen. Ruben Gallego and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren also pulled their endorsements, joining the Democratic leaders of Maine’s state legislature in calling for Platner to step aside.
Maine Democratic Party chair Charlie Dingman, vice chair Imke Schessler, and executive director Devon Murphy-Anderson issued a joint statement saying “multiple women have made serious, credible allegations against Graham Platner” over recent weeks.
“It is essential that we refocus this campaign on that struggle,” the Maine Democratic Party statement continued, framing the race as a fight against a government that “serves the interests of the wealthy and powerful at the expense of ordinary Maine people.”
Republican incumbent Sen. Susan Collins responded to the allegations by calling them “appalling” while noting it was “not up to me to choose the Democratic nominee for Senate.”
Platner won Maine’s Democratic primary by a commanding margin last month, but state law allows the party to replace him on the ballot if he withdraws before July 13.
Our Revolution executive director Joseph Geevarghese argued that any replacement must reflect the grassroots energy of Platner’s original campaign, saying the next candidate must be “someone who has actually lived the fight Graham Platner ran on.”
Speculation over potential replacements began circulating quickly, with names including former state senator and logger Troy Jackson and Secretary of State Shenna Bellows emerging in party discussions.
Community organizer Marie Follayttar said she had been bracing for further revelations, while Brunswick business owner Mike Connelly said he still wanted Platner out but would vote for him regardless rather than support Collins.
“I would vote for a comatose Democrat before I would vote for Susan Collins,” Connelly said, capturing the bind many Maine Democrats now find themselves in as the party scrambles to chart a path forward.
