Senate Democratic leaders are demanding that Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner immediately withdraw from the race after a rape allegation surfaced, threatening to upend what Democrats had viewed as a prime opportunity to flip a Republican-held seat in the November midterm elections. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, who heads the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC), issued a joint statement Monday calling on Platner to exit the contest, warning that the party would not invest in Maine if he continued his campaign.
The allegations, first reported by Politico, involve Maine resident Jenny Racicot, 41, who accused Platner of barging into her home in 2021 and forcing her to have unprotected sex. Racicot went public with her account on Monday, telling CNN host Jake Tapper that «by dictionary definition» Platner «raped» her. Platner has denied the accusation, calling it false, but has said his campaign is determining its next steps.
«The allegations reported today are incredibly disturbing – violence, abuse and sexual assault are absolutely unacceptable,» Schumer and Gillibrand said in their statement. The DSCC, which had not endorsed Platner until after he won the party's nomination, made clear it would not invest in the Maine race if he remained the nominee, a significant blow to a candidate already facing multiple controversies.
The call for Platner's withdrawal marks a sharp reversal for many Democrats who had previously stood by him amid earlier scandals. Representative Ro Khanna of California, a prominent progressive who had campaigned with Platner in June, rescinded his endorsement and urged Platner to drop out. «I've been very clear that sexual assault or violence against women is a red line,» Khanna said in a social media post Monday evening. «These allegations are very serious and credible. Graham Platner should drop out from the race. I am withdrawing my endorsement.»
Khanna's about-face drew criticism from Democratic strategist Shannon Watts, who noted that Khanna had campaigned with Platner after a previous abuse allegation had already surfaced. «You flew to Maine to campaign with him AFTER he was accused of assault against another woman,» Watts wrote on social media. Khanna had previously dismissed the severity of that earlier allegation, which came from former Platner girlfriend Lyndsey Fifield, arguing that Platner, a combat veteran with PTSD, had overcome a dark past and deserved redemption.
Platner's campaign has been dogged by a series of controversies beyond the rape allegation. He has faced scrutiny for sending sexually explicit messages to at least half a dozen women while married, making offensive online statements over a decade, and having a Nazi-linked tattoo that he wore for most of his adult life. The tattoo and online comments had already prompted some Democrats to distance themselves from him, but the party largely rallied behind him after he won the primary, seeing Maine as a key battleground where Senator Susan Collins, a Republican, is vulnerable.
Senator Martin Heinrich of New Mexico, an early Platner supporter, was the first prominent Democrat to rescind his endorsement after the rape allegation broke. Senator Ruben Gallego of Arizona also withdrew his endorsement Monday evening but stopped short of calling on Platner to exit the race. Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona, who had not endorsed Platner, called on the candidate to suspend his campaign. «Character and integrity matter,» Kelly said in a statement.
The rapid collapse of support among Democrats threatens to throw the Maine Senate race into chaos. Platner, who won the Democratic nomination in a contentious primary, had been seen as a flawed but potentially strong candidate against Collins in a state that has trended Democratic in recent years. The DSCC's refusal to invest in the race if Platner remains the nominee could effectively hand the seat to Collins, as Democratic candidates in Maine typically rely on significant national party support to compete.
Platner has not indicated whether he will comply with the calls to withdraw. His campaign said Monday that it is evaluating its options and that Platner «vehemently denies» the rape allegation. The candidate has previously acknowledged past mistakes, including the tattoo and online comments, but has portrayed himself as a changed man focused on issues like ending wars and addressing economic inequality.
The controversy comes at a critical moment for Democrats, who are hoping to expand their narrow Senate majority in the midterms. Maine is one of the party's top pickup opportunities, and losing the seat could complicate their path to holding the chamber. With the primary already over, state party rules may allow Democratic leaders to select a new nominee if Platner withdraws, but any replacement would face a steep challenge in a shortened campaign.
