Platner faces 3 calls to quit after sexual assault allegation

Graham Platner, the Democratic U.S. Senate candidate in Maine, denied a sexual assault allegation Monday as party leaders including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called on him to withdraw from a race that is critical to Democrats' hopes of winning back the chamber.

The allegation, detailed by Politico, came from Jenny Racicot, a 41-year-old Maine resident who said Platner forced himself on her about five years ago after entering her home intoxicated. Platner called the accusation "categorically false" in a video released on social media, while acknowledging the political damage it could cause.

"Regardless of the inaccuracy of the reporting but mindful of the political reality it will inflict, we're taking the time to reflect on the best path forward," Platner said.

Schumer and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, chair of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, issued a joint statement calling the allegations "incredibly disturbing" and said Platner must step aside immediately. The DSCC said it "will not invest in the Maine Senate race if Platner remains on the ballot." Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Rep. Ro Khanna of California, who had been one of Platner's most prominent congressional supporters, also withdrew their endorsements and urged him to exit the race.

The cascade of defections leaves Platner with a narrow window to decide his political future. Under Maine law, a candidate who won the primary must withdraw by July 13 — seven days from the allegation — for the party to nominate a replacement by the July 27 deadline. The Maine Democratic Party has already called on him to drop out.

The stakes extend well beyond one candidacy. Democrats need to net four seats to reclaim the Senate majority, and Maine offers their best pickup opportunity. President Trump lost the state in the 2024 election, and incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins is the chamber's most vulnerable GOP incumbent seeking reelection. Collins called the allegations "appalling" but declined to weigh in on Platner's future.

Platner, a 41-year-old Marine combat veteran and oyster farmer, rose from political obscurity to win the Democratic nomination after Gov. Janet Mills quit the race in April as his support grew. His campaign has been dogged by controversy since its launch last August. In June, the New York Times published accounts from three former romantic partners who described his behavior as "unsettling" and, in one instance, physically threatening. Days earlier, the Wall Street Journal reported Platner had exchanged sexually explicit messages with multiple women early in his marriage. His campaign also faced scrutiny over deleted Reddit posts making insensitive comments about Black and LGBTQ+ people and disparaging sexual assault victims, as well as a tattoo on his chest that Platner acknowledged resembled a Nazi symbol, which he said he got unknowingly in 2007 and has since covered up.

Platner has attributed his past behavior to post-traumatic stress disorder from four combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, framing his struggles as a sign of authenticity. "I'm a very real person, warts and all," he told NPR in May.

The last time a major-party Senate nominee faced a coordinated leadership push to withdraw this close to a general election ballot deadline was in 2017, when Alabama Republican Roy Moore faced multiple allegations of sexual misconduct involving teenagers. Moore stayed in the race and lost the special election to Democrat Doug Jones by 1.5 percentage points, a result that narrowed the Republican Senate majority to 51-49.

For Democrats, the calculus is unforgiving. If Platner remains on the ballot, the party risks losing a winnable seat and potentially the majority. If he withdraws, a replacement must be chosen by party committee within two weeks — a process that carries its own risks of factional infighting and a compressed campaign timeline against an entrenched incumbent with a $20 million-plus war chest.

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