Republicans tie battleground Democrats to Graham Platner
Graham Platner, the democratic Senate nominee in Maine, has become a liability for Democrats nationwide as Republicans attempt to link other candidates to his scandals during key battleground races. Despite calls for him to withdraw due to sexual assault allegations, Platner has not stepped down, leading to increased political repercussions. Several prominent Democrats, including Elaine Luria and others, have publicly urged him to resign, and some former supporters like Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren have rescinded their backing. The controversy has also affected down-ballot races, such as Maine’s 2nd District and Pennsylvania’s 7th District, where candidates are distancing themselves from Platner amid allegations of sexual misconduct. Republican opponents are leveraging the situation to attack Democratic candidates and portray the party as compromised. Simultaneously occurring, many Democrats beleive the scandal will soon fade from voters’ minds and criticize GOP efforts to nationalize the race through Platner’s issues. The race remains uncertain, with Platner’s future and the Democratic strategy to handle the scandal still unresolved.
Maine Democratic Senate nominee Graham Platner has become a problem for Democratic campaigns across the country as the GOP begins tying candidates in battleground races to the scandal-plagued Platner.
GOP campaign operatives in both Senate and House races have aimed to tie the disgraced Maine Democrat to other candidates in some of the most competitive seats across the country, as Platner has still not dropped out of the race.
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“Elaine Luria dismissed serious sexual assault allegations against Graham Platner as a ‘shiny new thing’ and a ‘scare tactic,’ disgraceful comments that are beneath anyone seeking public office,” National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Richard Hudson (NC) wrote on X in response to the former congresswoman’s comments on Platner. “Luria should apologize, and every member should condemn these heinous remarks.”
In the same interview, the former Democratic representative from Virginia said she believes Platner “should step down” and that she is “disappointed in Democratic leadership who’s been propping him up.” Luria is fighting to flip one of the most competitive seats in the country, labeled a “toss-up” by the nonpartisan Cook Political Report, as she runs against Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-VA).
A handful of big Democratic names were staunch backers of Platner, such as Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) and Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), who have since rescinded their support and called on the candidate to drop out.
Maine Auditor Matt Dunlap, the Democratic nominee for the battleground 2nd District, could be most at risk as a result of the Platner fallout. Dunlap backed Platner and campaigned alongside him. Sen. Susan Collins’s (R-ME) home base lies in the northern Maine district, where she is likely to run up the score and make it more difficult for Dunlap to hold on to the seat, vacated by retiring Rep. Jared Golden (D-ME).
The NRCC criticized Dunlap and his ties to Platner earlier this week.
Even Democrats who did not support Platner are feeling the repercussions of the candidate and his scandals.
The National Republican Senatorial Committee has aimed its attacks at Democratic Senate candidates in competitive states, claiming they did not speak out against Platner until Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) gave them “permission to do so.”
But Democrats aren’t sweating the attacks.
“Republicans do this every cycle — try to nationalize races by tying battleground Democrats to the political villain of the moment — and it never moves the needle,” one Democratic campaign operative told the Washington Examiner. “They just end up burning cash for very little payoff. By November, Platner will be old news and voters will have moved on.”
“[Former Democratic Ohio Sen.] Sherrod Brown spent 32 years doing the radical left and Chuck Schumer’s bidding,” NRSC regional press secretary Nick Puglia wrote. “This time is no different.”
Brown is making another Senate bid following his 2024 loss to Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-OH) and after Schumer successfully recruited him to make another run. The Ohio Democrat called on Platner to drop out on Monday.
The Pennsylvania GOP is going hard against Democrats in the state with links to the Maine Democrat.
“We are seeing in real time how terrible the Democrats’ chosen savior in Maine, Graham Platner, has turned out to be,” the Pennsylvania GOP wrote on X. “But did you know that Pennsylvania has its very own Graham Platner?”
“Bob Brooks is the Democratic nominee for Congress in PA-7,” they continued. “This is the same man who has continuously disparaged volunteer firefighters, calling them ‘scabs and sh*tbags.’”
The Pennsylvania GOP’s post included an artificially generated photo of Brooks and Platner campaigning together.
Pennsylvania’s 7th District is another one of the 17 seats labeled a “toss-up,” as Democrat Bob Brooks seeks to oust Republican Rep. Ryan Mackenzie.
“Platner should drop out,” Brooks’s campaign told the Washington Examiner in a statement.
Democrats on Capitol Hill and beyond began calling for Platner to drop out of the race after a Politico report detailing allegations from a woman who previously dated Platner that he sexually assaulted her while severely intoxicated five years ago. A separate report came forward just a day later when a former girlfriend of Platner came forward with allegations that he would remove condoms during sex without her consent.
Platner hasn’t withdrawn, but he posted a video 11 minutes after the Politico story was released, saying he was taking time to “reflect” on his campaign’s “best path forward.” Under Maine law, if Platner drops out by July 13, the state party chooses the replacement. It’s not currently clear how the party would go about doing that.
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“If Platner were a Republican, Democrats would be tying every Republican in a competitive race to him,” GOP strategist Dennis Lennox told the Washington Examiner. “That’s exactly what they did with Todd Akin in 2012.”
“The bigger story is that Democrats had multiple chances to deal with Platner and didn’t. They defended him until it became obvious he couldn’t win,” he continued. “Now, with their last chance to replace him slipping away, they’re trying to run from him.”
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