Democratic leaders urge Senate nominee Graham Platner to withdraw after new sexual assault allegation
Top Democrats, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, called on Maine Senate nominee Graham Platner to drop out of the race following a woman’s accusation of sexual assault, which Platner denies.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and the Maine Democratic Party asked Senate nominee Graham Platner to withdraw from the race on Monday after Politico reported that a Maine woman alleged he entered her home while intoxicated and forced himself on her in late 2021. Platner described the claim as "categorically false" and said his campaign was considering "the best path forward" for the state and the effort to defeat incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins.
The accuser, identified as Jenny Racicot, told Politico and later CNN that she and Platner had met on a dating app in 2019 and had consensual encounters before the night in question. She said Platron entered her home after she asked him not to, ignored her refusals, and allegedly refused to use protection, describing the incident as rape.
Platner’s campaign issued a statement calling the allegations "coached and coordinated by out-of-state establishment operatives" and denied any wrongdoing. The campaign also noted previous attacks that it characterized as false.
Democratic officials responded quickly. Schumer and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, chair of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, said the DSCC would not invest in the Maine race if Platner remained on the ballot. Rep. Ro Khanna, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, and Sen. Ruben Gallego all withdrew their endorsements and urged Platner to step aside. Activist Cheyenne Hunt, founder of the nonprofit Reckoning Action, called for Platner to remove himself from the ballot by the July 13 deadline so the party could select a new nominee.
Under Maine law, the Democratic nominee can be replaced if he withdraws by 5 p.m. on the second Monday in July; otherwise the party has two weeks to name a replacement. Platron, a 41-year-old veteran and oyster farmer, won the Democratic primary last month and is set to face Sen. Susan Collins in the November election, a contest viewed as pivotal for Senate control.
The allegation adds to a series of controversies that have surrounded Platron’s campaign, including prior reports of offensive online comments, a tattoo resembling a Nazi symbol, and claims of inappropriate text messages to women. Platron has previously said he does not expect further accusations and has maintained his commitment to the campaign.
