After being accused by a former girlfriend of sexual assault, Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner introduced that he’s suspending his marketing campaign in a video posted on social media Wednesday through which he continued to disclaim the allegations and blasted the political institution for derailing what he known as a motion.
Within the video, Platner, an oyster farmer and navy veteran, stated he’s suspending his marketing campaign and can withdraw from the poll in Maine’s Senate race, which had been one of the crucial carefully watched within the nation as Democrats search to take again the Senate.
“What comes subsequent wants to come back from the individuals of Maine,” Platner stated within the video, saying his substitute on the poll ought to be carried out in an open, clear method. “We imagine that for the motion to proceed, it may possibly’t be me. For that motive, we’re suspending marketing campaign operations.”
Earlier within the video, he stated, “I realized about this by means of press inquiries, with no time to really reply, no time for investigations earlier than a company media system and the political institution bought to behave as decide, jury, and executioner. Accusations are alleged to be the start of issues, not the tip.”
Platner’s announcement got here after Politico printed a report on Monday containing allegations from Jenny Racicot, a former girlfriend, that Platner pressured her into having intercourse with out her consent after repeatedly telling him to cease whereas they have been relationship 5 years in the past.
After the article was launched, Platner released a video calling the allegations “categorically false,” noting that he was “taking the time to mirror on the very best path ahead.”
Platner’s announcement Wednesday that he’s suspending his marketing campaign got here following days of stress from Democrats.
Quite a few distinguished Democrats — together with Senate Democratic Chief Chuck Schumer; Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand, Ed Markey, Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Ruben Gallego; Rep. Ro Khanna and Maine Democratic gubernatorial nominee Hannah Pingree — known as on Platner to drop out of the race on Monday.
Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner speaks to voters at a city corridor on the Elks Lodge 188, June 7, 2026, in Portland, Maine.
Laura Brett/Getty Pictures
Platner stated he felt the Democratic political institution wouldn’t let him proceed to be within the race, and stated he was not leaving the race as a result of allegations towards him.
“The brutal political actuality is that they will take every part away from us, these in energy who’ve the power to take action are utilizing these allegations as an excuse to remove all the issues that we have to run a marketing campaign,” he stated. “We’re going to lose our means to fund increase, we’re going to lose our means to entry voter knowledge, we’re going to lose all the issues that any marketing campaign wants on the essential stage merely to perform.”
Platner was slated to take on longtime Republican Sen. Susan Collins within the normal election in November. After the allegations towards Platner surfaced on Monday, Collins stated, “These allegations are appalling. However, it isn’t as much as me to decide on the Democratic nominee for Senate.”
Platner had till July 13 to formally withdraw from the race to permit for Maine Democrats to decide on a substitute. As soon as withdrawal paperwork is submitted, the Maine Democratic Social gathering has till July 27 to select one other Democratic nominee. A substitute for Platner has not but been publicly recognized.
Leaders from the Maine Democratic Social gathering confirmed Wednesday — earlier than Platner’s announcement — that the occasion had voted to carry a conference amongst occasion members to decide on a nominee to decide on his substitute.
Sens. Sanders and Warren have been early supporters of Platner’s marketing campaign. Platner, who had hardly any political expertise, closely targeted his marketing campaign messaging on being an outsider who may tackle wealth inequality and defeat Collins, whom he known as “spineless and corrupt.”
Platner faced a number of scandals since he launched his marketing campaign, together with sending sexually express texts to a number of girls and beforehand having a tattoo with Nazi symbolism. Platner stated he did not know his tattoo had a Nazi affiliation and lined it up when he realized about its which means.
Platner responded to the Wall Road Journal report about his express textual content messages, saying he and his spouse “went by means of one thing laborious — due to me” and added that “individuals do not care about gossip or headlines, they care that you simply’re combating for his or her hospitals, their paycheck, their children.”
He turned the Democratic nominee in June after receiving greater than 70% of the vote within the major. His foremost rival, sitting Gov. Janet Mills, suspended her marketing campaign in April after performing poorly in polls towards Platner, however she by no means endorsed him or filed paperwork to withdraw from the race.
