Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner said Monday he is "taking the time to reflect on the best path forward" for his campaign after a woman accused him of sexually assaulting her in 2021. Platner and his campaign denied the allegations, which were reported by Politico, according to CNBC.
The accuser, Jenny Racicot, 41, is a Maine resident. Platner, also 41, is a Marine veteran and oysterman who won his party's nomination in June, defeating Gov. Janet Mills in a primary after she had suspended her campaign. He ran on a populist, progressive message and was seeking to unseat five-term incumbent Sen. Susan Collins, the only Republican in Congress from New England.
Minutes after the Politico story was published, Platner posted a video to X addressing the claims directly. "I wanted to directly address the troubling, serious, and false allegations against me. Any accusation of non-consensual behavior is categorically false," he said in the video. He did not say he would quit the race.
Pressure mounted quickly. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, chair of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, issued a joint statement calling the allegations deeply serious. "The allegations reported today are incredibly disturbing – violence, abuse and sexual assault are absolutely unacceptable," they wrote. "Graham Platner needs to immediately withdraw as the Democratic nominee for Senate and allow Maine Democrats the opportunity to choose a new candidate who can defeat Susan Collins." They added a direct financial warning: "The DSCC will not invest in the Maine Senate race if Platner remains on the ballot."
The Maine Democratic Party also called for Platner to step aside Monday, saying the party has a "responsibility to hold every candidate who seeks to represent our state to the highest standard." Party leaders framed the race as critical, stating: "This Senate race comes at a pivotal moment in the struggle against a government, supported by Senator Collins, that serves the interests of the wealthy and powerful at the expense of ordinary Maine people." They added: "It is essential that we refocus this campaign on that struggle."
Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., who had recently traveled to Maine to campaign alongside Platner, also called for his withdrawal. "I've been very clear that sexual assault or violence against women is a red line," Khanna said.
In his video statement, Platner pointed to the campaign infrastructure he had built. "This movement we have built — the largest volunteer base in the history of Maine politics, the hundreds of thousands of grassroots donors, the supporters across the ideological spectrum — we were united in a love of Maine, a belief that our politics must change and a focus on defeating Susan Collins," he said.
Under Maine law, a candidate for a general election can withdraw by 5 p.m. on the second Monday in July and still be replaced. That gives Platner until July 13 to make a decision. If he does withdraw, Maine Democrats would then have until July 27 to select a replacement candidate.
