If you or someone you know needs resources or support related to sexual violence, contact the Maine Coalition Against Sexual Assault’s 24/7 hotline at 800-871-7741.
Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Graham Platner has less than a week to decide whether to forge ahead with his bid against Republican Sen. Susan Collins, with increased pressure to drop out following a sexual assault allegation.
Platner says he’s taking an unspecified “time to reflect” on the best path forward after Politico reported an ex-girlfriend’s allegation of sexual assault by him five years ago.
The Maine Democratic Party urged him to drop out on Monday evening, but the decision is his to make after winning the June primary. If the oyster farmer and military veteran decides by 5 p.m. next Monday, July 13, to leave the race, it will trigger an unprecedented and lightning-fast process to replace him.
Platner released a video on Monday in which he opened the door to dropping out, saying he was reflecting on the “political reality” the latest allegation would bring to his campaign. It would force Maine Democrats into a dramatic and unprecedented scramble to tap a replacement in one of the country’s most pivotal Senate races.
His party must name a replacement by July 27. The Democrats can do so in any fashion in accordance with their bylaws. If a candidate drops out after July 13, the slot cannot be filled.
The hardship for any potential new candidate is that if Platner does drop out, “they’ve got to stand up a Senate campaign in days,” Democratic strategist David Farmer said. That would be somewhat reminiscent of President Joe Biden’s decision to leave the 2024 election in June and cede the nomination to Vice President Kamala Harris.
One of three Democrats who recently lost the gubernatorial primary — former Maine Senate President Troy Jackson, Secretary of State Shenna Bellows or former public health chief Nirav Shah — could benefit by having a staff recently in place. Former House Speaker Sara Gideon, the 2020 nominee with money left over, could have an edge as well, he said.
The process for nominating a new Senate candidate is not set in stone. It’s likely the state party will coordinate with county committees and a nominating meeting will take place. But “what that looks like for a statewide office — is it in person, is it county caucuses, or is it one big state caucus virtually — the party would have to decide,” Farmer said.
If the party makes a replacement nomination by the July 27 deadline, the secretary of state produces new general election ballots listing the new nominee.
Platner called Politico’s reporting inaccurate and denied any accusations of nonconsensual behavior. After reports that previous girlfriends had alleged reckless and toxic behavior to the New York Times — including 41-year-old Jenny Racicot, who alleged the assault in Politico — Platner told concerned senators last month that no credible sexual assault allegation loomed over his race.
“Graham began this campaign to fight for a Maine where everyone is treated with dignity and where Mainers are put first, and no amount of desperate smears will stop this movement from seeing that vision through,” Platner’s campaign said in a statement.