Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner announced Wednesday he is suspending his campaign and withdrawing from the ballot following an allegation of sexual assault. Platner, an oyster farmer and military veteran, made the announcement in a video posted on social media.
In the video, Platner stated that his replacement on the ballot should be determined through an open and transparent process. "What comes next needs to come from the people of Maine," he said. "We believe that for the movement to continue, it can't be me. For that reason, we are suspending campaign operations."
The allegations surfaced after Politico published a report detailing claims from Jenny Racicot, a former girlfriend, who alleged that Platner forced her into sexual activity without her consent five years ago. Platner had previously called the allegations "categorically false" and stated he was reflecting on the best path forward.
Several prominent Democrats, including Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand, Ed Markey, Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, and Ruben Gallego, along with Rep. Ro Khanna and Maine gubernatorial nominee Hannah Pingree, had called for Platner to withdraw from the race. Republican Sen. Susan Collins, whom Platner was slated to challenge in the general election, called the allegations "appalling."
Platner had until July 13 to formally withdraw. The Maine Democratic Party has until July 27 to select a replacement nominee. No successor has yet been publicly identified.
Platner, who had limited political experience, ran on an outsider platform, aiming to address wealth inequality and unseat Collins. This is not the first controversy to surround his campaign; he previously faced scrutiny over sending sexually explicit texts to multiple women and for having a tattoo with Nazi symbolism, which he stated he was unaware of at the time and later covered.
He secured the Democratic nomination in June with over 70% of the primary vote. His primary rival, Gov. Janet Mills, had previously suspended her campaign after trailing Platner in polls but had not officially withdrawn from the race.