A slew of Democratic lawmakers and public figures have begun withdrawing endorsements of Graham Platner after a report that a woman accused him of sexual assault. Democratic senator Ruben Gallego called the allegations “troubling and deeply serious” in a social media post, adding that he will rescind his endorsement. Former Democratic National Committee interim chair Donna Brazile said that “it’s time for Mr. Platner to step aside and be replaced by July 13th”. Representative Ro Khanna called the allegations “very serious and credible”, also calling on Platner to drop out from the race. “I am withdrawing my endorsement,” Khanna wrote in a post on X. As of Monday, Platner had canceled a handful of campaign town halls planned in Maine. Governor of Illinois JB Pritzker joined a slate of Democrats in calling for Graham Platner’s withdrawal from the race. “Graham Platner must drop out of the race to become Maine’s next U.S. Senator,” he said in a statement on X. “The Democratic Party should continue to stand with all survivors of sexual assault”.
Jenny Racicot, the woman who accused Maine’s Democratic Senate nominee Graham Platner of sexual assault, spoke to CNN’s Jake Tapper about how she met Platner, the details of the assault, and the reasons she decided to come forward. Racicot said she met Platner on the dating app Bumble in 2019. “He grew up in the next town over”, she told Tapper in the interview. “We had, like, a mutual family friend, so I always knew of his existence, but that was when we actually met”. Asked whether she is coming forward because of political motivations, Racicot said: “No, not at all”. “That was actually one of the huge reasons that I didn’t come forward, and still struggled, like that was a huge moral conflict”, Racicot said in the interview. “I like the things that he speaks about. They’re important, they’re important to people. I’m one of those people”, but “he’s not being honest”. Racicot said that Platner entered her home intoxicated and sexually assaulted her after she repeatedly said no.
Our Revolution, the progressive group founded by Bernie Sanders, and the progressive Super Pac, A Fight Worth Having, announced they have rescinded their endorsement of Graham Platner. “Everyone deserves a fair and open process, and Graham Platner is entitled to due process like anyone else”, said Joseph Geevarghese, Our Revolution executive director, in a statement. “But the allegations against him are credible, and at this point they are too serious to treat as a distraction from the campaign or the issues. Sexual violence is a red line. We are withdrawing our endorsement and calling on him to withdraw from this race”. Corbin Trent, a former Bernie Sanders campaign aide and executive director of A Fight Worth Having, said this development “does not represent our movement or vision for America”. Trent said the Super Pac has rescinded its endorsement and hopes “progressive Troy Jackson jumps in as the Democratic nominee for Senate in Maine.”
Lawmakers and public figures continue to condemn Graham Platner after a woman he had previously dated accused him of sexual assault in an exclusive report by Politico. Many have rescinded their endorsements for the Maine Democratic Senate nominee and have also called for him to withdraw his candidacy. Democratic National Committee chair Ken Martin said that “Mainers deserve a Democratic candidate who can serve the people of their state, which is why it’s time for him to end his campaign”. He urged Maine Democrats to select a new nominee. “Enough is enough. Graham Platner needs to step aside”, said Democratic senator Cory Booker in a post on X. Meanwhile, California senator Adam Schiff commended “the courage of the woman who has come forward to tell her story”. “I urge Mr. Platner to consider what is best for Maine voters, and announce an end to his campaign”, Schiff wrote. In a statement on X, Democratic senator Martin Heinrich announced that he can “no longer support Graham Platner’s candidacy” and called for him to step aside.
Public figures, including author and Maine native Stephen King and streamer Hasan Piker, also weighed in on the developments on Monday. “Graham Platner may drop out. (I hope he doesn’t, but.) Meanwhile, the Abuser in Chief just keeps on keepin’ on,” King wrote on social media. “That is curtains,” Piker said on his Twitch stream. “That is the trifecta, okay? That is the trifecta of a reliable allegation… Personal firsthand testimony to a friend, a close confidante, back from way before Graham Platner ever f - ing ran for Congress, are you kidding me? And then also direct testimony to a therapist?”
Chuck Schumer, the US Senate’s top Democrat, and chair of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, senator Kirsten Gillibrand, said in a joint statement that the allegations of sexual assault against Graham Platner “are incredibly disturbing”. “Graham Platner needs to immediately withdraw as the Democratic nominee for Senate and allow Maine Democrats the opportunity to choose a new candidate who can defeat Susan Collins”, reads the statement. “The DSCC will not invest in the Maine Senate race if Platner remains on the ballot.” The Republican National Committee called the allegations against the Maine Democratic Senate nominee Graham Platner “horrifying”. “These allegations are horrifying and describe, in clear and graphic detail, something no woman should be forced to experience”, said RNC spokesperson Kristen Cianci. “The more layers of Graham Platner’s past emerge, the more irrefutable his pattern of violent, disgusting behavior becomes”.
The Maine Democratic Party leadership called for Graham Platner to withdraw from the US Senate race after a woman accused him of sexual assault in a story published by Politico. “Maine Democratic Party leadership takes seriously our responsibility to hold every candidate who seeks to represent our state to the highest standard,” reads a statement signed by chair Charlie Dingman, vice-chair Imke Schessler, and executive director Devon Murphy-Anderson. “Over the past several weeks, multiple women have made serious, credible allegations against Graham Platner. Today’s statements take those allegations even further.” “Maine Democratic Party leadership is calling on Graham Platner to withdraw as the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate,” reads the statement. “The Maine Democratic Party leadership stands with women and survivors, and that principle does not bend based on party affiliation. We respect the women who made the hard decision to come forward. Speaking up is often costly.”
End Citizens United, a campaign finance reform group, has pulled its endorsement of Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner following Politico’s report of sexual assault allegations against him. The group also called for Platner to withdraw from the race. “The allegations reported today are profoundly disturbing and disqualifying,” said ECU President Tiffany Muller in a statement. “The conduct described is fundamentally inconsistent with the standards we expect from the candidates we support. No candidate, elected official, or political party is exempt from accountability.” “It takes immense bravery to speak out in such a high-profile case, and we offer our full support to Jenny Racicot for sharing her story,” Muller added. “We stand in solidarity with her and all the courageous women who have come forward to hold Graham accountable.” “We believe the best path forward for Maine Democrats is to move quickly to nominate a candidate who can earn voters’ trust and who will center their campaign on ethical leadership, accountability, and fighting corruption,” reads Muller’s statement.
On social media, Graham Platner has denied the sexual assault allegation by a former partner reported by Politico. “Any accusation of non-consensual behavior is categorically false,” the Democratic nominee for Maine’s Senate seat said in a direct-to-camera message. While Platner deemed the reporting inaccurate, he said that his campaign was “mindful of the political reality” that the accusation “will inflict”. “We are taking the time to reflect on the best path forward for the state that I love, the people that I love, the movement I belong to,” he added. It’s worth noting that should Democrats decide to replace Platner as the party’s nominee in the Maine Senate race, Platner would have to drop out by 5pm ET on 13 July, according to state law. The Democratic party will then have a two-week window - until 27 July - to select a replacement candidate.