{"id":6557,"date":"2026-07-07T11:34:47","date_gmt":"2026-07-07T11:34:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/movinginsiderusa.com\/?p=6557"},"modified":"2026-07-07T11:34:47","modified_gmt":"2026-07-07T11:34:47","slug":"graham-platner-has-six-days-to-decide-whether-to-drop-out-heres-how-that-would-work","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/movinginsiderusa.com\/?p=6557","title":{"rendered":"Graham Platner has six days to decide whether to drop out. Here\u2019s how that would work."},"content":{"rendered":"

The Maine Democrat has faced an escalating string of scandals as he competes for a critical Senate seat that could determine control of the chamber.<\/strong><\/p>

Read more Rahm Emanuel heads to Israel to offer some tough love<\/a><\/p>\n

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\"\"<\/figure>\n\n
Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Graham Platner speaks after winning the Democratic nomination on June 9 in Blue Hill, Maine. (Robert F. Bukaty\/AP)<\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n

Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner, an oyster farmer, said Monday he was \u201ctaking the time to reflect on the best path forward\u201d as he faced a sexual assault allegation from a woman he previously dated.<\/p>\n

Platner, who has withstood a long list of previous controversies, has seen his support from key Democrats collapse amid mounting pressure to withdraw before a July 13 deadline. His challenge to Sen. Susan Collins (R) is critical to control of the U.S. Senate, where Republicans hold a 53-47 advantage.<\/p>\n

Platner can drop out any time before the November election. But Democrats, under state law, would only be able to put a replacement candidate on the ballot if he does so in the next week.<\/p>\n

Democrats from across the spectrum have asked him to exit the race, including those who have endorsed him from both inside and outside the state. Senate Democratic leaders, in a joint statement, said Monday they would not support<\/a> Platner\u2019s campaign financially if he remains on the ballot.<\/p>\n

Platner denies the sexual assault allegation but said he was \u201cmindful of the political reality\u201d that the reporting will \u201cinflict\u201d on his campaign.<\/p>\n

\u201cRegardless of the inaccuracy of the reporting \u2026 we are taking the time to reflect on the best path forward for the state that I love, the people that I love, the movement that I belong to and the goal of defeating Susan Collins,\u201d Platner said in a video posted on X<\/a>.<\/p>

Read more Rahm Emanuel to tell Israel its alliance with the U.S. cannot \u2018survive as it has been\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n

Jenny Racicot, a woman who previously dated Platner, told The Washington Post that he sexually assaulted her<\/a> in her Maine home in 2021. Racicot said Platner came to her home drunk, climbed on top of her on her couch and then had nonconsensual sex with her in her bedroom. \u201cI remember saying, \u2018Hey, I\u2019m not into this,\u2019 and, like, \u2018Don\u2019t do that. Don\u2019t touch me,\u2019\u201d she told The Post. \u201cLike saying every way that I could think to say \u2018No.\u2019\u201d The allegation was first reported<\/a> Monday by Politico.<\/p>\n

He has faced an escalating series of scandals<\/a> since launching his challenge to Collins last summer, including old social media posts dismissive of sexual assault, a tattoo resembling a Nazi symbol that he has since covered up, sexually explicit text messages he sent to other women after he married in 2023, and allegations of physical violence by ex-girlfriends.<\/p>\n

According to state law<\/a>, if Platner were to withdraw before July 13, the state deadline to finalize the November ballot, Maine\u2019s secretary of state can declare a vacancy and allow Democrats to choose a replacement. The party would have until 5 p.m. July 27 to select that candidate.<\/p>\n

The jockeying to replace Platner began soon after the embattled candidate said he was reflecting on the race, with much of the focus on the Democrats who ran and lost the state\u2019s gubernatorial primary<\/a> to former Maine House speaker Hannah Pingree last month.<\/p>\n

Rep. Ro Khanna (D-California), shortly after pulling his endorsement for Platner on Monday, touted former state Senate president Troy Jackson, while others weighed in on social media with less specific demands that party officials choose another liberal candidate.<\/p>\n

Other potential replacements include Nirav Shah, a former Maine health official who finished second in the governor\u2019s race, and Shenna Bellows, Maine\u2019s secretary of state. Both urged Platner to leave the race in social media statements.<\/p>

Read more Staffers push Congress for new sexual misconduct rules<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Maine Democrat has faced an escalating string of scandals as he competes for a critical Senate seat that could determine control of the chamber.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6555,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6557","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-interesting"],"yoast_head":"\nGraham Platner has six days to decide whether to drop out. 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