Maine Democrat Platner Suspends Senate Bid After Assault Allegation

Maine Democrats face an urgent scramble to replace their Senate nominee less than four months before the November election against five-term Republican Sen. Susan Collins. The contest is one of four Republican-held seats the party must flip to regain Senate control.

Graham Platner, a 41-year-old oysterman and former Marine who defeated Gov. Janet Mills in the June Democratic primary with more than 150,000 votes, announced the suspension of his campaign in an 11-minute video posted July 8. He denied a sexual assault allegation reported by Politico two days earlier and said the decision stemmed from the withdrawal of party support and resources rather than the claim itself.

The allegation, made by a former girlfriend, described an incident in 2021 in which Platner allegedly entered her home uninvited while intoxicated and engaged in non-consensual sex. Platner stated in the video that “the things that have been claimed did not happen. It’s not real” and accused “those in power” of using the timing—the final week to remove a candidate from the ballot—to override his primary victory. Earlier reporting in The New York Times had detailed separate accusations from three women, including claims of physical roughness and non-consensual condom removal during prior relationships.

Within hours of the Politico story, endorsements from Sen. Bernie Sanders, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Rep. Ro Khanna and others were withdrawn. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee ended financial support. Maine Democratic Party chair Devon Murphy-Anderson said the party would select a replacement through a state convention of roughly 600 delegates chosen by county committees, with a statutory deadline of July 27.

Platner’s campaign had already survived earlier controversies, including a chest tattoo with Nazi connotations, offensive social media posts, and reports of post-marriage sexting. Those issues did not prevent his primary win. His exit speech framed the withdrawal as the result of structural barriers erected by party elites, a message that could either energize or alienate his more than 15,000 volunteers.

Potential replacements who have signaled interest include former state Sen. Troy Jackson, Maine Beer Company founder Dan Kleban, Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, former CDC director Nirav Shah, state Rep. Valli Geiger, and former congressional aide Jordan Wood. The party has pledged an open process while Platner’s supporters have demanded that any successor reflect the progressive coalition that produced the primary result.