Democratic Senate nominee Graham Platner is facing mounting calls to drop out of the Maine race after two women accused him of sexual assault. Following allegations of rape in 2021 and non-consensual removal of protection between 2013 and 2015, high-profile supporters including Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren have rescinded their endorsements.
The Collapse of the Platner Campaign
The political viability of Graham Platner’s insurgent campaign effectively ended this week as his most prominent progressive allies distanced themselves from his bid to unseat Republican Senator Susan Collins. The exodus of support was triggered by a report from Politico detailing a 2021 incident in which Maine resident Jenny Racicot alleged that Platner forced her to have unprotected sex after entering her home while intoxicated.
Senator Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., who had previously championed Platner’s populist platform, confirmed on Tuesday that he had spoken directly with the candidate and “recommended that he step aside.” Following that intervention, a wave of other Democratic leaders—including Senators Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Chris Murphy, D-Conn., as well as Representative Ro Khanna, D-Calif.—withdrew their support. Senator Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., added his voice to the growing chorus, stating, These allegations are serious and cannot be ignored. Graham Platner should step aside.
The speed of the withdrawal reflects the high stakes of the Maine Senate seat. In the U.S. Senate, where narrow margins often determine party control, the Democratic leadership is under pressure to ensure their nominee does not become a liability that alienates swing voters or undermines the party’s platform on women’s rights and survivor advocacy.
Multiple Allegations and Campaign Silence
The pressure intensified after a second report emerged, this one from the Washington Post, involving an ex-girlfriend who alleged that Platner removed protection without her consent during multiple sexual encounters between 2013 and 2015. Platner’s campaign has labeled these claims as categorically false and politically motivated.
Despite the public disavowal from party leadership, Platner has not yet formally withdrawn. According to Maine election rules, the candidate has until 5 p.m. on July 13 to decline the nomination. If he chooses to step down by that deadline, the Democratic Party of Maine would have until July 27 to designate a replacement for the general election ballot.
This window for replacement is a critical procedural detail. In many states, once a candidate is certified on the ballot, replacing them requires a formal petition or a specific legal process handled by the Secretary of State’s office. The July 27 deadline represents the final opportunity for the party to install a new candidate without facing significant legal hurdles or risking an empty slot on the ballot, which would leave Senator Collins virtually unopposed.
Reframing the History of Scandal
As the current crisis unfolds, political analysts are re-examining why earlier controversies—including a well-documented history of offensive social media posts and the public display of a Nazi tattoo—did not previously derail Platner’s candidacy. The Atlantic notes that supporters had previously dismissed or defended Platner’s behavior as part of his “folksy progressivism,” with Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., famously describing a prior abuse allegation from a former girlfriend as a lot of nothing.
Critics now argue that the Democratic establishment ignored red flags in their desire to defeat the Republican incumbent. As noted in The Atlantic, the shift in tone regarding Platner’s character has been stark, with former allies now suggesting that the candidate’s history of “contemptible behavior” should have been a disqualifying factor long before the recent sexual assault allegations surfaced.
Internal Deliberations and Future Uncertainty
The mechanics of a potential withdrawal remain a point of friction. While a report in the New York Post suggested the candidate was seeking to secure approval for his successor before stepping down, political consultant Morris Katz took to social media to deny those claims. The campaign has also halted all digital advertising, according to data from Andrew Arenge at the University of Pennsylvania.
The cessation of digital spending is often viewed by campaign strategists as a sign of operational paralysis or a strategic freeze while legal and political options are weighed. For a campaign that relied heavily on grassroots digital outreach to build momentum, the absence of active advertising suggests a loss of funding or a lack of confidence from the campaign’s remaining staff.
For now, the candidate remains in a state of self-imposed silence, having not posted on social media since Monday. Whether Platner attempts to hold onto the nomination or bows to the intense pressure from national party figures will be determined in the coming days. The Democratic Party, meanwhile, faces a high-stakes scenario in Maine, where the race to unseat Senator Collins is now overshadowed by the turmoil surrounding their nominee.
Find more reporting in our News section.
