Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Plotner has suspended his campaign following a report detailing an allegation of sexual assault.
Politico published an interview Monday with one of Plotner's former girlfriends, who alleged that in 2021, he entered her home without permission and sexually assaulted her. Plotner, who was seeking to challenge Republican incumbent Susan Collins, called the allegations false in a video posted Wednesday, stating that the report was timed to remove him from the ballot before the July 13 nominee deadline. He suggested that "larger organizations" and "national-level party" donors would prefer Collins to win.
In the video, Plotner announced his intention to withdraw from the race and indicated he would file the necessary paperwork with the secretary of state. "There is a reason this is happening now," Plotner said. "This was the last week to try to get me off of the ballot and that’s why this is occurring."
Dan Pfeiffer, host of the podcast "Pod Save America," admitted to feeling "mad" at himself for previously believing Plotner's "redemption" story. Pfeiffer told guest Alex Wagner that he had "naively" accepted Plotner's explanation of past mistakes being related to PTSD and drinking, and that he believed in allowing individuals who have made errors to participate in politics. However, a recent sexting scandal had raised doubts about the sincerity of Plotner's claimed transformation, though Pfeiffer continued to support him after Plotner's wife released a statement endorsing him.
Wagner responded critically to Plotner's video, calling it "asshole, asshole, asshole" and deeming his claims about a "rape victim" being a "crisis actor" employed by the Democratic establishment as "preposterous." She argued that Plotner's exit complicates the Senate race, potentially jeopardizing the Democratic chances of unseating Collins.
Pfeiffer agreed with Wagner, characterizing Plotner's video as "Trumpian" due to its "conspiracy theories," denial, and self-centeredness. He suggested that Plotner's current course of action makes a Democratic victory less likely. Pfeiffer, a former aide to President Barack Obama, stated that Plotner should "just go away" for the sake of the causes he claims to support.