Democrat Graham Platner drops out of Maine Senate bid after sexual assault allegations, says ‘brutal political reality’ | Today’s news

Maine Democratic Senate nominee Graham Platner said in a video statement Wednesday that he is suspending his campaign. His statement came after allegations of sexual assault were filed against him.

In an 11-minute video posted on social media, Platner said the process to replace him must be “open, transparent and democratic” and must reflect the will and values ​​of the people who supported him. He also addressed Democratic leaders in Washington, DC

“People in D.C. need to stay in D.C.,” Platner said, adding, “Decisions shouldn’t be made by people in places of political power.”

At times, Platner scratched his beard and looked off camera as he spoke, and he appeared to become emotional as he announced his plans, sitting on what appeared to be a wooden deck as the noise of nearby traffic whistled past. He also emphasized that his decision was not an admission of guilt.

Allegations of sexual assault

Platner’s decision came after a woman told CNN and Politico that he raped her while heavily intoxicated nearly five years ago during a casual relationship — a claim Platner denies.

Shortly before Platner won the Democratic nomination in the June 9 primary, there were reports that he had exchanged sexually explicit messages with other women while married and that he had become physical with a previous girlfriend during an argument.

But Platner’s support took a nosedive on Monday, when Politico reported that a woman said he drunkenly forced her to have sex after she told him to stop.

Jenny Racicot, who lives in Maine, told Politico that she was in a steady relationship with Platner but cut off contact with him after that night in 2021, telling him the encounter was not consensual.

In an interview with CNN, she said she was raped “by definition”.

After the story broke, Platner denied the allegations as “categorically false” in a video posted on social media, but said he was “taking time to think about the best way forward” for his campaign.

High-level supporters, including Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who said the next day that he had spoken with Platner and that “in light of these very serious allegations, I recommended that he step down.”

“We believe it can’t be me to continue the movement — and for that reason, we’re suspending campaign operations,” Platner said in an 11-minute video posted on X, adding that he intends to file withdrawal paperwork.

He added: “However, it is not the false allegations that have brought us to where we are. It is the fact that they are being used by the political establishment to put structural pressure on us. We live in a political system that is not built for normal people. It is a system that is structurally built to ensure that movements like ours cannot flourish.”

He said the “brutal political reality” is that those in power are using the allegations as “an excuse to take away all the things we need to run a campaign”, including the ability to raise funds and access voter data.

“We asked for real democracy and we did it the right way, and we won, but now the ball is in the Democratic establishment’s court. My name may be on the ballot right now, but this ballot line belongs to the people of Maine, and on November 3rd, it must belong to the people of Maine, and the next Democratic senator for Maine must belong to the people of Maine,” he said.

what’s next

In a video message, Platner took aim at the Democratic establishment while clearing the way for the party to select a new nominee to face Republican Sen. Susan Collins in one of the most important contests in November’s midterm elections.

Platner’s departure was expected to lead to further rifts between the party’s moderate and progressive factions as Democrats seek to unify ahead of this year’s midterm elections.

Maine is seen as a key state for control of the closely divided Senate, and Democrats have been desperate for a candidate capable of defeating Republican Sen. Susan Collins, while President Donald Trump is generally unpopular.

State law includes a provision for Democrats to replace Platner before the general election. The state Democratic Party held a special meeting Wednesday where more than 100 state committee members signed on to hold a nominating convention if Platner resigns.

Platner announced he would do so less than an hour later.

By statute, party officials can choose a new candidate if the candidate who won the primary withdraws by 5 p.m. on July 13. A replacement must be appointed by July 27.

Democrats need to pick up four Senate seats to gain control of the 100-member chamber, and party leaders have seen Maine as a critical piece of the puzzle, along with Alaska, Ohio and North Carolina.

Challenges for Platner

Nazi tattoos, Reddit posts and more have already challenged Platner.

Platner has faced tough questions almost since he launched his campaign last year. News sources uncovered years-old Reddit comments that appeared to condone political violence, reject rape in the military, criticize rural Americans and use anti-gay slurs.

Another controversy arose regarding the skull and crossbones tattoo widely recognized as a Nazi symbol on his chest.

He said he did not know the history and chose the tattoo while drunk and on vacation with other sailors in Croatia.

After becoming a candidate, he covered up the tattoo and said in an October 21 interview with the political podcast Pod Save America that he “wasn’t a secret Nazi.”

“Skulls and crossbones is a pretty standard military thing,” Platner added.

However, a former girlfriend told The New York Times that Platner joked about the tattoo as a Nazi symbol, calling it “my Totenkopf.”

The tattoo revelations and online comments raised concerns among Democrats that Platner had been poorly vetted as a political candidate and had demonstrated dubious judgment. Some party leaders despaired of Platner’s chances of winning even before allegations of previous relationships began to surface.

Platner generated progressive buzz and support

Before the Politico story was published, Platner had canceled some town halls planned around the state. Such events were the calling card of his campaign, which prided itself on its willingness to go anywhere to rally voters. Volunteers hosted happy hours and trivia nights that helped generate enthusiasm for the generational shift from Collins, 73, to Platner, 41.

At a time when Democrats were growing disaffected with the party establishment, Platner seemed like a tempting alternative. His deep voice could command a room, and voters were drawn to his gritty populism and focus on economic inequality.

They were also willing to look past the controversy when Platner portrayed himself as an ordinary person who made mistakes and tried to better himself and his community. At times, he has spoken about his struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder and focused on the power of redemption.

Before the sexual assault allegations became public, some voters said they also didn’t want to be judged for their worst moments, such as drunken behavior or rude comments.

Platner was supported by progressives including Rep. Ro Khanna of California, but that support quickly eroded after Racicot’s allegations.

“I was very clear that sexual assault or violence against women is a red line,” Khanna said on Monday. “These allegations are very serious and credible. Graham Platner should drop out of the race. I am withdrawing my support.”

Sonja Birthisel, a Democrat and data analyst in Orono, Maine, voted for Platner in the primary. But she said he did the right thing by dropping out.

“My hope for the future of our democracy is that we can hold all of our elected officials to a higher standard,” she said.

But the 38-year-old said she rejects the idea that the race is a proxy battle between moderate and progressive forces across the country.

“Maine is a big little town,” she said. “I’d really like to see out-of-state influence and out-of-state money stay out of our beeswax as much as possible.”

(With input from agencies)