USA09 July, 20263 min read
Trump Says Graham Platner’s Rape Allegations Are False as Maine Senate Bid Ends
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Graham Platner dropped his Maine Senate bid after a rape allegation. Nearly all Democratic allies withdrew their support as allegations surfaced.
Platner exits Maine race
President Trump weighed in on the rape allegations against former Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner on Air Force One, saying, “A lot of people say big falsehoods,” and adding, “He’s in a bind.”
Platner suspended campaign operations in an 11-minute video posted to social media on Wednesday, saying, “This is all false. The things that have been claimed did not happen. It’s not real,” while also saying the allegations came out days before July 13, the deadline to drop out of the race.
The allegation that triggered Platner’s exit was described by NPR as coming from Jenny Racicot, who alleges in a Politico report that Platner entered her home in 2021 intoxicated and without her permission and sexually assaulted her.
NPR also said the state election rules require withdrawal by Monday, July 13 for the state party to name a new nominee before the deadline of July 27, leaving Democrats scrambling to coalesce around a new candidate in one of the most critical races for Senate control.
Democrats scramble for replacement
After Platner dropped out, The Straits Times reported that at least six Maine Democrats jumped in to fill the sudden void on Thursday, with the seat held by Republican U.S. Senator Susan Collins and vital for the party’s chances of taking control of the Senate in November’s midterm elections.
The Straits Times said the Maine Democratic Party replacement candidate will be picked at an imminent nominating convention with only days to spare before the July 27 state deadline to submit the candidate’s name for the November ballots, while also noting that the party had not yet announced how the candidate will be chosen.
NPR said multiple Democratic lawmakers, including Rep. Ro Khanna, Sen. Ruben Gallego and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, rescinded their endorsements, and it described the campaign arm for Senate Democrats vowing to not invest in the race if Platner remained on the ballot.
In a separate reaction, CNN quoted retired California Democrat Barbara Boxer saying, “I still feel the way I do about Susan Collins, but I can’t support Graham Platner based on what’s come out,” as Platner’s allies sought whether an op-ed backing him should still run.
Party math and next steps
Fox News reported that Sen. John Fetterman said Platner was always a “dead man walking” after the scandal-plagued Democratic candidate dropped out, and Fetterman told “Jesse Watters Primetime,” “The trash took itself out tonight.”
Fox News also said the allegation that triggered Platner’s exit came from Maine resident Jenny Racicot, 41, who told CNN’s Jake Tapper that “by dictionary definition” Platner “raped” her, and it added that Platner has not been criminally charged for the allegation.
NPR framed the stakes as Democrats needing to net a total of four seats this November to win back the majority, while also quoting Jessica Taylor of Cook Political Report saying, “It is virtually impossible to see a path for Senate Democrats back to the majority if they do not flip Maine.”
NPR further said the Maine Democratic Party held a meeting with over 100 members to vote to hold a nominating convention to choose a new nominee “if there is a vacancy to fill,” and it described jockeying already underway for the person who might take up the mantle, including Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, Nirav Shah, and Troy Jackson.
