Graham Platner has suspended his campaign for the Maine U.S. Senate seat following a rape allegation made by Maine resident Jenny Racicot. Platner has denied the accusation, calling it false and politically motivated.
Platner's campaign adviser, Morris Katz, stated on X that the campaign urged Platner to end his candidacy "as soon" as it became aware of the allegations. However, this assertion faced scrutiny, with a community note on X pointing out that the campaign publicly denied the claim before Platner suspended his run two days later. CNN reported that when asked about Racicot's allegation on July 6, Platner's campaign stated it was untrue.
Platner himself responded to the allegations, first reported by Politico on Monday, with a video posted on X. He asserted that the accusations were "all false" and suggested they were part of a political effort to remove him from the ballot before the July 13 deadline for official nomination. "This was the last week to try to get me off of the ballot. And that's why this is occurring," Platner said in the video.
In the same video, Platner announced the suspension of his campaign operations, stating, "For the movement to continue, it can’t be me." He officially withdrew from the race on Friday afternoon.
The timeline of the campaign's response to the allegations has drawn criticism from various political commentators. Republican commentator Matt Whitlock noted that Platner's team had reportedly contacted former girlfriends of Platner the previous year. The Republican Party's official X account suggested the Democratic establishment only acted to remove Platner because he was perceived as a losing candidate. Emily's List, a pro-choice women's political action committee, commented that Platner's 11-minute announcement video contained "zero accountability."
Maine Democrats now face a July 13 deadline to select a replacement nominee to challenge incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins. A new candidate would need to be chosen by July 27.