Graham Platner, the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Maine, announced his immediate withdrawal from the race on Wednesday following a sexual assault allegation that has shattered support among key party figures and jeopardized Democrats' chances of reclaiming Senate control. In a video statement posted to social media, Platner, a former Marine sniper and oyster farmer who had run as an outsider against the political establishment, said he would file official paperwork to remove his name from the ballot, though he insisted the allegations were "categorically false" and that his departure was not an admission of guilt [1][4].
The allegation, first reported by Politico and later detailed in a CNN interview, comes from Jenny Racicot, a 41-year-old Maine resident who said Platner forcibly entered her home while heavily intoxicated in November or December 2021 and had sex with her despite her repeated demands to stop [1]. Racicot, who dated Platner casually from 2019 to mid-2021, stated that during the encounter, Platner knocked over a sewing cabinet, inadvertently leaving a needle stuck in her leg, and that when she confronted him the next morning, he claimed he did not remember what happened [1]. She affirmed that by definition, the incident was rape [1].
Within hours of the story's release, prominent Democrats who had previously endorsed Platner—including Senators Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, and Ro Khanna—rescinded their support and called for his withdrawal, while the Maine Democratic Party voted to hold a nominating convention to select a new candidate if a vacancy occurs [2][5]. The party faces a tight deadline: under state law, Platner must officially withdraw by Monday, July 13 to allow a replacement to be named before the July 27 ballot deadline [2][4].
Platner, who has previously faced controversy over a Nazi symbol tattoo and inappropriate online remarks, argued that the "all-out pressure" from fellow Democrats made it impossible to conduct a
