Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner said Monday that he is “taking time to reflect on the best path forward” for his campaign after a woman accused the Democratic candidate of sexual assault in 2021, even as calls for him to withdraw from the race grew rapidly.
As reported in a Politico article, Plattner and his campaign denied the assault allegations made by Jenny Racicot, 41, of Maine.
Platner, a Marine Corps veteran and oysterman whose populist, progressive message soared his party’s nomination this year, is seeking to unseat five-term incumbent Sen. Susan Collins, the only Republican from New England.
“I wanted to directly address the troubling and seriously false allegations against me. Any accusation of non-consensual conduct is patently false,” Platner said in a video posted X minutes after the Politico article was published.
“In this movement we have built – the largest volunteer base in the history of Maine politics, hundreds of thousands of grassroots donors, supporters of a wide range of ideologies – we are united by our love for Maine, our belief that politics must change, and our focus on defeating Susan Collins.”
Platner, 41, did not explicitly say he was quitting racing. But pressure grew among Democratic leaders to do so.
“The allegations reported today are deeply disturbing, and violence, abuse, and sexual assault are completely unacceptable,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Democratic Senate Campaign Committee Chair Kirsten Gillibrand said in a joint statement.
“Graham Platner should immediately withdraw his nomination as a Democratic candidate for the Senate and give the Maine Democratic Party the opportunity to choose a new candidate who can defeat Susan Collins,” Schumer and Gillibrand, R-New York, said in a statement.
“DSCC will not invest in the Maine Senate race if Mr. Platner remains on the ballot.”
Under Maine law, candidates in the general election have until 5 p.m. on the second Monday in July to withdraw and be replaced, and Mr. Platner has until July 13 to resign or continue.
Under Maine law, the Maine Democratic Party has until July 27 to find a replacement for Mr. Platner.
Mr. Platner won his party’s nomination in June, defeating Gov. Janet Mills, who had suspended her campaign, in the primary.
The Maine Democratic Party on Monday called on Mr. Platner to withdraw, citing his “responsibility to hold all candidates seeking to represent our state to the highest standards.”
“This Senate election comes at a pivotal moment in the fight against a government backed by Sen. Collins that serves the interests of the rich and powerful at the expense of ordinary Maine residents,” party leaders said in a statement posted to X.
“It is essential that we refocus this campaign on that fight.”
California Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna, who recently traveled to Maine to campaign with Mr. Platner, echoed that call.
“It’s crystal clear that sexual assault and violence against women is a red line that cannot be crossed,” Khanna said in a post on X. “These allegations are very serious and credible. Graham Platner should withdraw from the race. I am withdrawing my support.”
Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) called the allegations “alarming and extremely serious” and withdrew his support.
Democratic Sen. Martin Heinrich, an early supporter of Mr. Platner’s campaign, told CNBC: “These are very serious allegations and should be treated as such.”
Racicot told Politico that she and Platner had an on-again, off-again relationship for two years, until in 2021 he entered her home uninvited while drunk and forced himself on her over her objections.
Racicot said she remembered Platner “grabbing my pelvis and being pretty forceful,” and that she then cut off contact with him.
Politico corroborated Racicot’s testimony with testimony from a man she started dating after Platner, and from a friend and acquaintance. She also shared her correspondence with her therapist to the publication.
The allegations echo the circumstances that led California Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell to suspend his campaign for California governor and resign from Congress earlier this year.
The San Francisco Chronicle reported in April that a former staffer claimed a series of sexual encounters with Swalwell while he was her boss, quickly leading to his political downfall. The woman also claimed that Swalwell sexually assaulted her twice when she was too drunk to consent.
The accusations against Mr. Platner are the latest in a series of misconduct accusations that have rattled Democratic lawmakers eager to topple Mr. Collins. Her seat is expected to flip and could help restore the party to a majority in the Senate.
Former Vice President Kamala Harris won Maine by about 7 percentage points when she was the party’s presidential nominee in 2024.
“The allegations are horrifying,” Collins said in a statement to CNBC.
“Still, it’s not my responsibility to choose the Democratic Senate candidate,” Collins said.
The New York Times in June reported that several women who dated Plattner recalled “disturbing” behavior, but the article did not include any accusations of sexual assault.
The article included part of Racicot’s story, but “declined to elaborate” on what happened after Racicot showed up drunk at her home.
Platner also had a tattoo that closely resembled a Nazi symbol, but it was covered up early in the campaign after photos of the tattoo were made public. He said he got the tattoo while serving in the Marines and denied knowing of its Nazi connotations.
Mr. Platner has repeatedly relied on stories of his military service and resulting PTSD to explain his prior actions.
Top Democratic strategists expect Mr. Platner to abandon his campaign.
“The time has come for Mr. Platner to step down and be replaced by July 13,” former Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Donna Brazile said on the X-Post on Monday.
“Pratner needs time to heal and focus on his family and happiness. Enough is enough. Enough is enough,” she said.
“There are no explanations or excuses for the recent sexual assault allegations,” David Axelrod, former President Barack Obama’s campaign manager, told X.
