Graham Platner formally withdraws from Maine Senate race
Graham Platner, who secured the Democratic nomination for Maine’s U.S. Senate seat, withdrew from the race amid allegations of sexual assault. The allegations, which emerged earlier in the week, included claims from a woman about a past on-and-off relationship, and accusations of non-consensual acts. Platner denied the charges, asserting they were false and aimed at sabotaging his campaign. His withdrawal means his name will not appear on the ballot, and the Maine Democratic Party will hold a convention to select a new nominee, with several candidates already vying for the position. Platner expressed frustration with the political establishment and media, criticizing what he described as unjust judgment. The controversy has drawn wider attention, with some Democrats criticizing Bernie Sanders for supporting Platner’s initial rise.
Graham Platner, the oyster farmer who won the Democratic nomination for Maine‘s Senate seat, formally withdrew from the race on Friday following allegations of sexual assault.
Platner’s campaign imploded after allegations that he sexually assaulted a woman five years ago were published on Monday, resulting in the Maine Democrat suspending his campaign on Wednesday. The allegations resulted in partywide calls for Platner to withdraw from the race, including from Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), an early supporter of his campaign.
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“On June 9th, 156,084 Mainers voted for a new kind of politics,” Platner wrote in a letter addressed to Maine’s secretary of state. “People are desperate for change. For this broken system to be righted. For the American experiment to be furthered. Over the past eleven months, thousands and thousands of Mainers poured their hearts, time, and talent into a movement to deliver that vision. I will be forever grateful to them.
“And in submitting this letter today,” he wrote, “I seek to further the movement we have built together and the future we believe in. My name may have been on the ballot, but that ballot line belongs to the people of Maine. As such, please consider this notice as my official withdrawal from consideration for this office.”
The Maine Secretary of State’s office confirmed it received Platner’s letter shortly after it was posted to his campaign account on X. The office said that because Platner withdrew his candidacy before the July 13 deadline, his name will not appear on the ballot, and the Maine Democratic Party will be able to select a replacement Senate nominee.
Party leadership approved a convention in which 600 delegates from Maine’s 16 counties will vote on a new nominee. The party has a July 27 deadline to coalesce around a new candidate, per Maine law.
Several candidates have already thrown their hats in the ring for the Senate race, many of whom ran for office earlier this year. Among them are Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, former public health official Nirav Shah, former Maine Senate President Troy Jackson, and former 2nd District candidate Jordan Wood. Bellows, Shah, and Jackson all appeared on last month’s gubernatorial ballot.
Candidates must procure 500 signatures to be eligible for the convention, with at least 50 signatures in eight of the 16 counties.
In a series of interviews with Politico published Monday, Jenny Racicot, 41, claimed she and Platner had an on-and-off relationship for two years until Platner entered her home while drunk and forced himself onto her.
A second story, published by the Washington Post, alleged that Platner would remove condoms during sex without the consent of an ex-girlfriend.
In the video announcing he was suspending his campaign Wednesday, Platner insisted the allegations were false and designed to derail his campaign.
“I just want to make it clear, this is all false,” he said. “The things that have been claimed did not happen. It’s not real. This was the last week to try to get me off of the ballot, and that’s why this is occurring.”
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Platner repeatedly emphasized the role of the “political establishment” and “corporate media” in his withdrawal from the race, saying they “got to act as judge, jury, and executioner” before any investigations could take place.
Platner, a populist Democrat, struck a similar defiant tone in his formal letter to withdraw, signing off with a final message: “F*** ICE. Free Palestine. Up the Hearts.”
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