Senior Democratic officials on Monday called on their candidate Graham Platner to withdraw from the race for the US Senate due to accusations of sexual assault while he represented one of the party’s best chances of taking a seat from the Republicans in the midterm elections.
• Also read: Campaign marked by scandals: Graham Platner becomes Democratic candidate for Senate in Maine
• Also read: Democratic primary for the Senate in Maine: will Graham Platner, targeted by multiple scandals, win the nomination?
According to Politico41-year-old Maine resident Jenny Racicot, who previously dated Graham Platner — whose meteoric rise has been compared to that of President Donald Trump — accused him of forcing her to have sex in late 2021.
Graham Platner, 41, a former Marine, oyster farmer and political newcomer, denied the claim. He won the Democratic primary last month in this state on the east coast of the United States, bordering Canada.
In a video message posted on X after the article appeared, the Democrat called the accusations “concerning, serious and false.”
“Regardless of the inaccuracy of this reporting, but keeping in mind the political reality it will bring, we are taking the time to consider the best path forward for the state I love, the people I love, the movement I belong to, and the goal of defeating Susan Collins,” he said.
Ms. Collins, a six-term Republican and one of her party’s few remaining moderates in Congress, is among the Democrats’ main targets.
Maine is a key battle for Democrats in their effort to regain control of the Senate in November.
The Democratic Senate Campaign Committee (DSCC) has indicated that it will withdraw funding if Graham Platner remains in the running.
“The accusations reported today are incredibly disturbing – the violence, abuse and sexual assault are absolutely unacceptable … Graham Platner must immediately step down,” Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and DSCC Chair Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand said in a statement.
The Maine Democratic Party, as well as Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, also called on him to step down.
His victory in the primary was hailed by his supporters as proof that a blatantly anti‐establishment message could resonate with voters frustrated by cautious politics.
But his campaign also worried some Democrats, in a state where independent and moderate voters are kingmakers.
The article from Politico comes after other controversies concerning old online comments, messages of a sexual nature, a tattoo with Nazi connotations then covered up, or even accusations of violence against women.
Graham Platner admitted to having struggled with undiagnosed post-traumatic stress disorder and alcohol abuse, but denied physically assaulting former partners.
