Maine Democrat Graham Platner Wednesday ended his Senate campaign over a sex assault allegation, a move that clears the way for Democrats to pick a new candidate to take on Republican Sen. Susan Collins in the critical midterm showdown.
The progressive oysterman dropped out of the marquee race after the claim by ex-girlfriend Jen Racicot that he forcibly had sex with her during a drunken incident in 2021, even though he denies the allegation.
“What comes next needs to come from the people, needs to come from the people of Maine,” Platner said in a video message posted on social media. “It needs to be open, transparent and democratic. It needs to be reflecting the will and the values of the people that built this movement.”
Platner, 41, won a sweeping victory in the Democratic primary just a few weeks ago but pressure had been building on him to quit.
Maine Democratic Party leaders need to determine a process to select a new nominee, a process that must be completed by July 27. Some have proposed a caucus system like the one used in presidential primaries in the state.
Leading candidates to replace Platner on the ballot include ex-state lawmaker Troy Jackson, a progressive ally of Platner; public health official Nirav Shah; and Secretary of State Shenna Bellows.
Some Platner supporters are pushing for him to have a say in his replacement, whom they hope would have similar progressive views. Others say he should stay out of the process.
The political stakes could hardly be higher.
Republicans hold a 53-49 majority in the Senate, meaning Democrats would need to flip four seats to retake control .
Maine remains one of the top targets for Democrats, who would also need to win an open seat in North Carolina and some combination of red states like Alaska, Ohio, Iowa and Texas.
Collins has long been seen as the most vulnerable Republican incumbent, mostly because Maine is a Democratic-leaning state that voted for Kamala Harris over President Trump by about 6%.
Platner, who has no previous political experience, took the race by storm when he entered the contest last year. He ran on a populist message that won a receptive audience among voters angry over President Trump’s perceived failure to improve the economy since he returned to the White House.
He led Gov. Janet Mills, the choice of establishment party leaders, by a wide margin in polls and grass-roots fundraising, forcing her to exit the race even before the primary.
But he also has fended off numerous serious scandals, even before the most recent claim.
Platner admitted getting a tattoo on his chest that resembles a Nazi symbol. He claimed he got the tattoo while on drunken leave from the military and was unaware of its significance.
He also has been accused of sexual misconduct by ex-girlfriends and admitted exchanging sexually charged text messages with several women in recent months during what he said was a period of marital troubles with his wife.
Platner has repeatedly apologized for past misdeeds and said they reflected his struggles with alcohol, depression and post traumatic stress disorder. But he has firmly denied any non-consensual sexual relations.
