Rep. Madeleine Dean, D-Pa., expressed relief Friday after Graham Platner announced his intent to suspend his campaign for the U.S. Senate in Maine, stating that it was an "easy call" to denounce his candidacy due to mounting controversies. Platner officially withdrew from the race later that evening.

Dean, who had previously warned about Platner's controversies before many other Democrats, told Fox News Digital that "He disqualified himself." She criticized Platner's exit video, in which he denied allegations and blamed the Democratic establishment, saying, "That's not the kind of person we want as a senator. I don't care if you're a Republican or a Democrat."

Platner's campaign imploded following a rape allegation made public by Jenny Racicot, a Maine resident who claimed Platner sexually assaulted her in 2021. Platner has consistently denied the accusation, which was first reported by Politico. Earlier, Platner had faced scrutiny for a tattoo linked to Nazis and offensive posts on Reddit, as well as allegations of infidelity and past misconduct in relationships, including an account of physical abuse from a former girlfriend, Lyndsey Fifield.

Dean told Fox News Digital that she believed Platner had disqualified himself due to the Nazi emblem tattoo and "credible allegations of his abuse of women." She added, "So, to me, it was a very easy call. I wasn't trying to weigh in. I was asked by a CNN reporter and I just said he has disqualified himself. Not a tough call."

Despite the escalating scandals, some prominent Democrats initially continued to support Platner. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., suggested that allegations from ex-girlfriends were unsubstantiated and potentially politically motivated. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., urged focusing on policy issues rather than personal scandals.

When asked if Democrats had waited too long to disavow Platner, Dean declined to offer a definitive judgment, stating, "I don't have a judgment on that. They had to do it in their own way. I did it in my own way." She emphasized that her decision was based on being asked directly and calling the situation as she saw it.

Dean asserted that the political calculus of potentially unseating incumbent Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, a Republican seeking her sixth term, did not justify supporting a candidate with such serious allegations. "I didn't want to fall into the trap of contorting myself in order to support a candidate who had succeeded in a primary," Dean said. "Democrats are better than that. We have values that we live by."

Following Platner's withdrawal, Democrats are now working to establish a process to select a replacement candidate. The eventual nominee will face significant Republican opposition, with allies of Sen. Collins pledging substantial negative advertising against the new Democratic contender.