Top Democratic Leaders Call for Platner to Withdraw from Senate Race

The Maine Democratic Party’s leaders said Monday that Senate candidate Graham Platner should withdraw from the race and several of his once-vocal supporters withdrew their endorsements following a report about sexual assault allegations.

“The Maine Democratic Party leadership stands with women and survivors, and that principle does not bend on party affiliation,” the party said in a statement.

The list of high-profile Democrats distancing themselves from Platner grew quickly after Politico published a story Monday quoting a Maine woman who said an intoxicated Platner forced her to have sex with him almost five years ago while they were in an on-again, off-again relationship. Platner has denied the allegations, but said he was weighing the future of his campaign.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, the chair of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, released a statement also calling on Platner to “immediately withdraw.”

“The allegations reported today are incredibly disturbing — violence, abuse and sexual assault are absolutely unacceptable,” the senators said. “The DSCC will not invest in the Maine Senate race if Platner remains on the ballot.”

Schumer (D-New York) had previously backed Maine Gov. Janet Mills for the Senate seat, but endorsed Platner after he won the state’s primary.

Rep. Ro Khanna (D-California), who hosted a rally in Maine last month supporting Platner and other Maine Democrats, posted on X: “I’ve been very clear that sexual assault or violence against women is a red line. These allegations are very serious and credible. Graham Platner should drop out from the race. I am withdrawing my endorsement.”

Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Arizona) also withdrew his endorsement.

“The allegations against Graham Platner are troubling and deeply serious,” Gallego wrote on social media.

Politicians and groups that previously backed Platner had waved off previous scandals — including his tattoo resembling a Nazi symbol and old Reddit posts about violence and sexual assault — quicky jettisoned their support Monday.

End Citizens United, a left-leaning political action committee, called for Platner to “immediately” withdraw from the race.

“The allegations reported today are profoundly disturbing and disqualifying. The conduct described is fundamentally inconsistent with the standards we expect from the candidates we support. No candidate, elected official, or political party is exempt from accountability,” the group’s president, Tiffany Muller, said in a statement. “It takes immense bravery to speak out in such a high-profile case, and we offer our full support to [the accuser] Jenny Racicot for sharing her story.”

End Citizens United called on Maine Democrats to nominate a new candidate to replace Platner, who won the primary last month, if he drops out in the race against Republican Sen. Susan Collins. The Democratic Party has until July 27 to pick a replacement if Platner drops out.

In a statement, Collins said, “These allegations are appalling. Nevertheless, it is not up to me to choose the Democratic nominee for Senate.”

In his statement Monday, Platner said he would be looking for the “best path forward” for his campaign in Maine.

Popular political influencers, such as Hasan Piker and Cheyenne Hunt, have also spoken out against Platner and dropped their endorsements.

On his Twitch livestream Monday, Piker said, “This is a clear-cut instance of verifiable sexual assault allegations. It’s completely irredeemable.”

Not everyone was quick to revoke their endorsements.

The cofounders of the progressive group Indivisible, Ezra Levin and Leah Greenberg, said they were taking the allegations “extremely seriously.”

“We’ve begun outreach to our Maine Indivisible groups and local leaders as we process these deeply troubling reports and determine next steps together,” they said in a statement. “We recognize the courage it takes to come forward, and hold the survivors in our heart. We will be working together with Maine Indivisible leaders on our next steps.”