WASHINGTON, July 9, (v7n) – Graham Platner, a scandal-plagued Democratic Senate nominee whose insurgent rise drew comparisons to Donald Trump, ended his campaign Wednesday after a rape allegation threatened to derail one of his party's best chances of flipping a Republican-held seat.
Platner, a Marine veteran and political newcomer, won last month's Democratic primary in Maine to face Republican Senator Susan Collins in November's midterms. His withdrawal leaves Maine Democrats only days to regroup in a race central to their hopes of regaining control of the US Senate.
"We are suspending campaign operations," Platner said in a video posted on X. "This is incredibly difficult, because I know that some will think it's an admission of guilt, and it most certainly is not." He added he would file paperwork to withdraw.
Under Maine law, Democrats can replace Platner on the ballot because he quit before a July 13 deadline, with the state party having until July 27 to choose a new nominee.
The collapse follows a Politico report that Jenny Racicot, a 41-year-old Maine resident who previously dated Platner, accused him of forcing her to have sex in late 2021 despite her repeated objections. Platner, also 41, strongly denied the allegation, calling it "troubling, serious and false" and saying any accusation of non-consensual behavior was "categorically untrue."
His campaign rapidly lost support across the Democratic Party—from the Washington establishment to progressive lawmakers and activists who had previously defended him. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and DSCC chair Kirsten Gillibrand urged him to withdraw, warning the party's campaign arm would not invest in the Maine race if he remained on the ballot.
Several other former supporters called for him to step aside, while the Maine Democratic Party said "principle does not bend based on party affiliation" and urged Platner to quit.
The reversal is dramatic for a candidate celebrated weeks ago as proof that a blunt anti-establishment message could break through with voters. Platner built a fervent following attacking corporate power, donor class politics, and Collins—drawing comparisons to Trump's own disruptive rise. But his appeal unsettled Democrats who feared his personal baggage could cost them a winnable race.
Even before the latest allegation, Platner's campaign had been dogged by old incendiary online posts, sexually explicit messages, a tattoo resembling a Nazi symbol, and allegations of mistreating women. Platner has acknowledged past struggles with undiagnosed PTSD and alcohol abuse but denied physically harming former partners.
His exit leaves Democrats facing a compressed and politically fraught replacement process. Progressives are pushing for a nominee who can inherit Platner's movement, while party leaders face pressure to choose someone able to reassure moderates, independents, and women voters.
Collins, a five-term Republican and one of her party's few remaining moderates, is among Democrats' top targets—but the turmoil around Platner has given her campaign a reprieve and exposed Democratic divisions over candidate vetting, populism, and electability.
In his video, Platner called on "the Democratic establishment" to step up for the "will and the values" of the people of Maine. Maine is one of the party's clearest Senate pickup opportunities, and Democrats likely need to gain several seats to win back the chamber.
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