Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner lost multiple endorsements overnight after Politico reported a sexual assault allegation from a woman who had previously dated Platner.
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Maine resident Jenny Racicot said Platner entered her home while intoxicated one night in 2021 and forced her to have sex despite repeated objections. Platner denied the allegations, calling them “categorically false” in a video posted to social media.
Platner has been mired in various controversies since launching his Senate campaign in August of last year. An oyster farmer and former Marine, Platner found immense grassroots success with voters wary of establishment Democrats, securing him the Democratic nomination in last month’s primary.
Now, Platner says his team is “taking time to reflect on the best path forward” for the campaign. Without the seat Platner is running for, the Democratic goal to regain a majority in the Senate could hang in the balance.
Who Pulled Support for Platner?
Following the allegation, the BBC reported more than a half dozen Democrats had pulled their support for Platner.
The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee said it would not fund the Maine Senate race so long as Platner remained on the ballot.
“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,” DSCC Chair Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer wrote in a joint statement.
The Maine Democratic Party also called on Platner to withdraw from the race and allow Democrats to choose a new candidate. Sens. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., and Ed Markey, D-Mass., all denounced Platner in social media posts yesterday evening.
Platner’s History of Controversy
In October 2025, Platner addressed various controversial Reddit posts he made in 2013. The Maine Monitor’s archive of Platner’s 2,014 comments shows the candidate telling sexual assault victims to “act like an adult” and “not get so f–ed up they wind up having sex with someone they don’t mean to.”
Platner apologized for the comments, saying they were fueled by mental health issues after returning from military service in the Middle East. Later that month, reports surfaced about one of Platner’s tattoos, resembling a Nazi SS symbol. Platner said he had gotten the tattoo while in Croatia on military service in 2007, was unaware of its meaning and had it covered following the controversy.
Earlier this summer, Platner faced more heat after The Wall Street Journal reported the candidate sent sexually explicit text messages to women. His wife had reported the indiscretion to his campaign days after he announced his bid. And in June, The New York Times reported the accounts of three women who had dated Platner and called his behavior “unsettling.” At least one said he could be physically threatening.
But Monday’s allegation appeared to be the last straw for the Democratic Party.
What’s Next for the Maine Senate Race?
Platner can choose to drop out of the race at any time, all the way up to election night. But in order for Democrats to choose a replacement, he must leave the race before the ballot finalization deadline on July 13 – less than a week from now. If he does, Democrats will have until July 27 to find a replacement.
While Maine law does not dictate how the Democratic Party would choose a new candidate, some Democrats are looking to the candidates Platner bested in the primary. California Rep. Ro Khanna seemed to support former state Senate President Troy Jackson in a social media post after withdrawing his endorsement of Platner. Maine Gov. Janet Mills, Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows and former state health official Nirav Shah could all be considered.
