Graham Platner Officially Drops Out from Maine’s U.S. Senate Race
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Graham Platner has officially withdrawn from Maine’s U.S. Senate race, enabling the Democratic Party to select a replacement nominee. Platner’s withdrawal follows allegations of sexual assault made against him by a former girlfriend. The Maine Democratic Party now has until 27th July to submit a new nominee, with at least six candidates already aiming to replace Platner.
Platner Withdraws from Maine’s U.S. Senate Race Amid Scandal
Friday marked the official withdrawal of Graham Platner from the U.S. Senate race in Maine, opening the door for Democrats to nominate a new candidate. Platner indicated his decision in a letter to Maine’s division of elections shared on X.
The move extinguishes Democratic fears of a reversal or failure to meet the filing deadline. Maine’s Democratic Party now has until July 27 at 5 p.m. ET to introduce a replacement nominee, leading to a convention for candidates to vie for the nomination. The winner will face Republican Sen. Susan Collins in the upcoming elections, one of the most fiercely contested Senate races this year.
Platner claims more than 156,000 Mainers supported his “new kind of politics,” but following a fresh sexual assault allegation made by a former girlfriend, he decided to suspend his campaign. Several candidates have already entered the race to replace Platner, including those who lost in this year’s gubernatorial and Senate primaries.
The Maine Democratic Party is hustling to organize a nominating convention to meet the July 27 deadline for ballot placement. According to Devon Murphy-Anderson, the state party’s executive director, Maine voters will be involved “in some way” in selecting the candidates who will appear at the convention. She emphasized that the candidates will need to engage with Maine voters and collect signatures from Maine Democratic voters across the state.
Platner’s campaign has been riddled with scandal since its launch last year. First, he apologized for his previous Reddit posts where he identified as a “communist,” demonized cops, and blamed rape victims. Later, revelations surfaced about sexual texts exchanged with women outside of his marriage. This culminated in June when several ex-girlfriends, including the woman who recently accused him of sexual assault, reported their discomfort during their relationships to The New York Times.
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