Platner Hits Pause as Dems Hope He Drops Out After Sexual Assault Allegation

Listen To This Story

Four weeks after winning the Democratic primary, Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner announced on Monday that he would “reflect on the best path forward” in the wake of a new report in which a former girlfriend accused him of forcing her to have nonconsensual sex.

While Platner denied the “troubling” allegations levied against him, he also acknowledged in a brief video that he is “mindful of the political reality” that he now faces.

Part of that reality is that even allies who have stood with him during previous controversies are now abandoning him, which is hardly surprising in light of the new accusations.

In an interview with Politico, a woman who dated Platner said he let himself into her home after she had told him that she wasn’t feeling like company that night and then forced her to have sex.

That accusation is on a whole different level from past scandals, as is the response from his supporters.

“I’ve been very clear that sexual assault or violence against women is a red line,” said Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA). “These allegations are very serious and credible. Graham Platner should drop out from the race. I am withdrawing my endorsement.”

He was not the only one. Several political figures who had previously backed Platner withdrew their support, such as Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Ruben Gallego (D-AZ).

Meanwhile, Democratic establishment figures, who had never warmed to their party’s nominee, were quick to tell him to make way for someone else, which had always been their preferred outcome in this race.

In a joint statement, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), the head of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC), called the allegations “incredibly disturbing,” called on Platner to step aside so that the Democrats can find another candidate to unseat Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), and vowed to withhold their financial support should he fail to do so.

Defeating Collins, one of the most vulnerable Republican incumbents, is essential to the Democrats plans of taking control of the Senate next year.

Closer to home, Maine’s Democrats also called on him to drop out and highlighted what is at stake.

“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,” the state party’s leaders said in a statement.

It’s not only the responses from allies and Democratic skeptics alike that is different this time around but also Platner’s own response.

His statement leaves open the possibility that he will end his campaign. For now, Platner said that he would be “taking the time to reflect on the best path forward.”

He doesn’t have a lot of it.

“Time is also of the essence. The deadline set by the Secretary of State at the outset of this election cycle for a nominee to withdraw is July 13th,” Devon Murphy-Anderson, the executive director of the Maine Democratic Party, said. “The deadline for a new nominee to be submitted to the Secretary of State is July 27th. If the Platner campaign does not suspend by the 13th, there will be no option to select a new nominee.”

For the Democrats, that would be a nightmare scenario, and they will be anxiously waiting for Platner to try to find a clean exit, e.g., by saying something along the lines that he does not want untrue allegations to serve as a distraction.

And we imagine that he will because this is not the kind of scandal that a Democrat can survive.

Whether this will ultimately help or hurt the party’s chances of unseating Collins remains to be seen and will also depend on whom they choose to take Platner’s spot and how they will arrive at that decision.

Stay tuned!