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Platner faces withdrawal pressure
Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Graham Platner faced mounting pressure to withdraw after a rape allegation from a former partner, with top Democratic leaders including Chuck Schumer and Bernie Sanders urging him to step down.
“How Democrats could replace Graham Platner in Maine Senate race and who might take his place Selecting a replacement for Platner has become a firestorm within the party”
NBC Boston reported that Platner had not resigned from the Maine U.S. Senate race after the sexual assault allegation, while the plan for a succession battle that might take his place was laid out Wednesday.
The allegation, reported Monday, prompted a chorus of calls for Platner to depart the race against Republican Sen. Susan Collins, which could decide party control of the Senate.
Platner denied all the allegations and told supporters he was “taking the time to reflect on the best path forward,” while the Maine Democratic Party announced it would hold a nominating convention if a vacancy arises.
The Maine Democratic Party’s process is tied to deadlines under Maine law, with the deadline to withdraw set for 5 p.m. July 13 and a replacement candidate required to be named by July 27.
Endorsements unravel across party
As calls for Platner to exit grew, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee said it “will not invest in the Maine Senate race if Platner remains on the ballot,” while Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand said in a statement that “The allegations reported today are incredibly disturbing – violence, abuse and sexual assault are absolutely unacceptable.”
PBS reported that Platner denied the allegation and said, “Regardless of the inaccuracy of the reporting but mindful of the political reality it will inflict, we're taking the time to reflect on the best path forward for the state that I love, the people that I love, the movement I belong to and the goal of defeating Susan Collins.”
PBS also quoted Jenny Racicot, who told Politico that Platner entered her home in 2021 while drunk and assaulted her, and she said, “He violated multiple layers of consent that night by coming into my home when I asked him not to and by advancing on me when I told him not to.”
In Maine, the Maine Democratic Party leadership issued a statement calling on him to withdraw as the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate, while the BBC reported that top Democrats pressed Platner to drop out over the sexual assault allegation.
For Democrats nationally, Politico described a rapid abandonment of Platner’s candidacy after the POLITICO report, saying the “dam has broken on Graham Platner’s candidacy” as major party groups and supporters withdrew.
Who could replace him
If Platner withdraws, Maine law allows the Maine Democratic Party to replace him on the general election ballot, with the replacement required to be chosen by July 27 after a withdrawal by 5 p.m. on July 13.
“Democratic politicians in Massachusetts are racing to rescind endorsements and public support for controversial Maine U”
Fox News listed several names being discussed as potential replacements, including Troy Jackson, who told the Bangor Daily News on Monday, “This is something I never considered, but if Graham’s stepping away, I am very, very interested and think I’m the best person to replace him.”
ABC News described how the Maine Democratic Party could select a replacement without holding new primaries, saying the party’s state committee would vote on who could become the replacement candidate and that it was unclear whether delegates would vote in person or virtually.
Politico reported that if he withdraws before next Monday, Maine law allows the state party to select his replacement, and it said former Democratic gubernatorial candidates Troy Jackson, Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, and former public health official Nirav Shah were taking calls about replacing Platner.
The stakes are immediate for Democrats’ Senate strategy, with the BBC framing the race as pivotal to Democrats’ chances of gaining control of the Senate and the PBS noting the contest is considered critical to control of the chamber.
