Graham Platner, the Democratic nominee for one of Maine’s U.S. Senate seats, announced Wednesday that he is suspending his campaign, ending a closely watched bid that had been shadowed for months by a series of personal controversies. His departure leaves the Maine Democratic Party without a candidate against Republican Senator Susan Collins in a contest that could help decide which party controls the Senate.
Platner delivered his decision in an 11-minute video posted to social media. He denied the sexual assault allegation that preceded his exit, describing it as false, but said the loss of support from state and national Democrats had left his campaign unable to continue.
In the video, Platner rejected any interpretation of his withdrawal as a concession. “This is incredibly difficult, because I know that some will think it’s an admission of guilt, and it most certainly is not,” he said. He attributed the collapse of his campaign not to the allegation itself but to what he called the actions of those in power, saying the decision was driven by “the structures that are being taken away from us by those in power.”
Platner said he would file the paperwork required to withdraw from the race. Under Maine law, he must formally do so by an early next week deadline. He urged the state party to select his replacement through an open, transparent, and democratic process and said the choice should rest with voters rather than, in his words, “party apparatchiks.”
“My name might be on the ballot right now, but that ballot line belongs to the people of Maine,” he said.
The Allegation
The allegation that triggered the campaign’s unraveling was made public earlier in the week. A Maine woman, Jenny Racicot, told Politico and CNN that Platner entered her home without permission in late 2021, while intoxicated, and forced himself on her despite her telling him to stop. Racicot said the two had met through a dating app in 2019 and had a consensual relationship before the night in question.
In an interview with CNN, Racicot said Platner had, by her account, disregarded her wishes on multiple occasions that night. She described weighing her options in the moment and choosing what she believed was the safest course by complying.
Platner has consistently denied the allegation. In a video posted shortly after Politico first reported the account, he called the claim categorically false. His campaign, in a statement, characterized the allegations as coordinated attacks driven by outside operatives. In his Wednesday announcement, Platner said he had learned of the allegation through press inquiries and objected to the speed with which it reached the public, arguing that accusations should mark the beginning of a process rather than its conclusion.
CTN notes that the allegation has not been tested in any court and that Platner denies it. This report presents both the accuser’s account and Platner’s response without reaching any conclusion about their merits.
The allegation prompted a rapid withdrawal of support from within Platner’s own party. The Maine Democratic Party called on him to step aside. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, who chairs the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, both urged him to withdraw. The committee said it would not spend money on the race if Platner remained the nominee, and a major Democratic-aligned political action committee announced it was redirecting resources away from Maine.
Several of Platner’s prominent backers in Congress, including Representative Ro Khanna of California and Senator Ruben Gallego of Arizona, rescinded their endorsements after the account became public. Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who had been among Platner’s most significant supporters, said he had spoken with the candidate and recommended that he step aside.
What Happens Next
Platner’s exit reshapes a race that Democrats have long treated as a priority. Collins has held her seat since 1997 and has repeatedly won reelection even as Maine has trended toward Democrats, making her one of the party’s most sought-after targets.
Under state law, the Maine Democratic Party has until July 27 to name a replacement nominee. The party said it would hold a nominating convention to make the selection and would release details of the process in the coming days. It has stated that Platner will have no role in choosing his successor.
The competition to replace him began almost immediately. Within an hour of Platner’s announcement, former state senator Troy Jackson launched a bid for the nomination. Other Maine Democrats have signaled interest, and party officials face the challenge of settling on a candidate in a compressed window without the benefit of a full primary campaign.
Platner, a 41-year-old military veteran and oyster farmer from coastal Maine, rose from relative obscurity over the past year to become a nationally recognized figure, drawing support from prominent progressives. He won the Democratic primary in June with more than 70 percent of the vote after Governor Janet Mills, initially seen as the establishment favorite, withdrew from the contest in the spring.
His campaign was repeatedly disrupted by reporting on his past conduct. News outlets documented old social media posts he had written, and Platner acknowledged having gotten a tattoo during his military service that is widely recognized as a hate symbol, which he said he later had covered. He apologized for the online posts. Subsequent reporting raised further allegations about his personal conduct, which he disputed. Platner has said some of the past behavior stemmed from a difficult period in his life during which he struggled with undiagnosed PTSD and misused alcohol.
As recently as last month, Platner had insisted he would remain in the race, telling one outlet that dropping out had never crossed his mind. His reversal this week caps a turbulent stretch that has left Maine Democrats with a narrow timeline and a consequential decision to make.
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Source: CBS News
Editorial Disclaimer: This article was originally written in English. The French and Haitian Creole versions are produced using AI translation, and errors are possible — the English version is authoritative. CTN also uses AI to convert text into audio. Readers and listeners should rely on the English text where any discrepancy arises.
