Graham Platner, the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Maine, announced the suspension of his campaign Wednesday evening following a rape allegation made by a woman he had dated, leaving his party scrambling to find a replacement before a state-mandated deadline.
In an 11-minute video posted to social media, Platner denied the accusation while acknowledging that the loss of financial and logistical support from Democratic Party structures had made his campaign unviable. "We are suspending campaign operations," he said, according to The New York Times. "We're not doing it because of the allegations, we're doing it because of the structures that are being taken away from us by those in power."
Jenny Racicot, 41, alleged in a Politico report published earlier this week that Platner arrived at her home uninvited and intoxicated in 2021 and forced himself on her despite her repeated objections. Asked by CNN whether she considered the encounter rape, Racicot said, "By definition yes, absolutely," according to The New York Times. Platner called all allegations of nonconsensual behavior "categorically false."
Democratic backing evaporated quickly once the allegation became public. Through a joint statement, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York announced that the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee was pulling out of the Maine contest as long as Platner stayed in the race, according to BBC News. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, one of Platner's most prominent backers, called on him to step aside, as did Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ruben Gallego and Rep. Ro Khanna of California.
The Maine Democratic Party's executive director said Platner's team had made repeated attempts to influence the replacement process but would have "no role" in selecting the next nominee, according to The New York Times.
Maine state law gives the party a deadline of July 27 to hold a nominating convention and select a replacement candidate. A field of potential replacements has begun to take shape, with announcements and expressions of interest coming from figures including former Maine Senate President Troy Jackson, brewery owner Dan Kleban, Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, and former public health director Nirav Shah, according to the Guardian.
Platner had won 72% of the vote in the June 9 Democratic primary, according to The New York Times. Before the rape allegation, Platner's candidacy had already accumulated a damaging record: old social media posts drew widespread criticism, a tattoo on his chest bore a resemblance to a Nazi symbol, and former partners had described disturbing patterns of conduct.