On Monday, top Democrats urged Graham Platner to withdraw as the Democratic nominee in Maine after a woman who dated him said he forced her to have sex with him.
Senate Minority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer called on Platner to "immediately withdraw," and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand joined him; the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee said it would not invest in the race if Platner remains on the ballot.
Ken Martin, chair of the Democratic National Committee, said Monday that it was "time for him to end his campaign." Some of Platner's biggest backers — Sens. Elizabeth Warren, Martin Heinrich, and Rep. Ro Khanna — also called on him to exit; Sens. Mark Kelly, Elissa Slotkin, Cory Booker and Adam Schiff joined those calls. Sen. Ruben Gallego withdrew his endorsement, and Sen. Ed Markey said he "cannot support his candidacy."">
Key outside groups rescinded endorsements, including VoteVets and End Citizens United, and Senate Majority PAC said it is "redirecting resources away from the Maine Senate race in light of the latest allegations."">
Jenny Racicot, a 41-year-old Maine resident, said Platner entered her home uninvited in 2021 and forced himself on her; Platner denied the allegation.
Racicot later said she and Platner had met on a dating app in 2019 and had consensual relations before the late-2021 incident. She said, "He violated multiple layers of consent that night. By coming into my home when I asked him not to, and by advancing on me when I told him not to, and furthermore, another incident that I had told him not to do." She added, "In that moment, I evaluated my safety. I basically felt safest just complying."">
Platner, in a video his campaign posted to X, called the allegation "categorically false." His campaign issued a statement calling the allegations "coached and coordinated by out of state establishment operatives."">
Platner canceled a string of campaign events in recent days, and in his video said, "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."">
A published report cited accounts from a man Racicot later confided in, recent therapist emails, and messages in which she warned an acquaintance about Platner in 2023. Racicot said she had previously spoken to the New York Times about her relationship with Platner ahead of Maine's June 9 primary and that she had spoken to the paper off the record; she is now going on the record with the alleged assault.
Under Maine law a nominee can be replaced if a candidate withdraws "on or before 5 p.m. of the 2nd Monday in July preceding the general election." That means Platner would have to withdraw before July 13 at 5 p.m. in order for the party to replace him for the general election; the party would have until July 27 to nominate a replacement. If a candidate withdraws after the July 13 deadline, the party does not have any way to nominate a replacement.
Democrats had coalesced behind Platner after Gov. Janet Mills dropped out of the race and he handily won the Democratic primary last month despite a series of prior controversies, including offensive online comments, a tattoo that resembled a Nazi symbol and earlier accusations of mistreatment of women.
The seat is viewed as a battleground and could be crucial to Democrats' chances of winning control of the Senate in November; Platner was set to face GOP Sen. Susan Collins in November, and Collins has served in the Senate since 1997 and is chair of the Appropriations Committee.
Some Maine Democrats are discussing potential replacements: former gubernatorial candidates Troy Jackson, Secretary of State Shenna Bellows and former public health official Nirav Shah are taking calls about replacing Platner. Maine Democratic nominee for governor Hannah Pingree called for him to exit, saying, "Graham Platner tapped into something real voters hungry for change showed up with real passion and energy. That energy doesn't have to go away. It needs a new candidate to carry it forward."">
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Tuesday called on Platner to end his campaign, saying, "I believe that it's time for him to drop out of the race" and that a campaign termination is the "only appropriate response" in the wake of the allegation. Mamdani told reporters at New York City Hall that "the focus of today should be on the campaign coming to a close," and he said there would be "many more days to have conversations about what it means beyond that." Mamdani never endorsed Platner, though several of his top aides, including strategist Morris Katz and press secretary Joe Calvello, have played leading roles on Platner's Senate bid.
The Maine Democratic Party leadership released a joint statement calling on Platner to withdraw. Party Chair Charlie Dingman, Vice Chair Imke Schessler and Executive Director Devon Murphy-Anderson said, "Over the past several weeks, multiple women have made serious, credible allegations against Graham Platner. Today's statements take those allegations even further. The Maine Democratic Party leadership stands with women and survivors, and that principle does not bend based on party affiliation. We respect the women who made the hard decision to come forward. Speaking up is often costly."