Graham Platner, the Democratic nominee for Senate in Maine and a onetime rising star of the progressive movement, has suspended his campaign following allegations of sexual assault.
Platner adamantly denies the allegations.
Breaking News: Graham Platner, the Democratic nominee for Senate in Maine, suspended his campaign under intense pressure from all corners of his party after a woman accused him of rape.
Follow live updates. https://t.co/Vm3okUAamf
— The New York Times (@nytimes) July 9, 2026
From the New York Time:
His departure upends one of this year’s most important Senate races and creates enormous uncertainty about his party’s outlook in Maine, where Democrats believe that defeating Senator Susan Collins, a Republican, is crucial to their efforts to reclaim a Senate majority.
The Maine Democratic Party will hold a convention to choose a new nominee by July 27, the state-mandated deadline. An array of Maine politicians, including several who ran in primaries for other offices this year and lost, have expressed interest in running.
In a video posted on social media on Wednesday night, Mr. Platner said that the allegations against him were false but that he was suspending his campaign and would file paperwork to withdraw.
My name might be on the ballot right now, but that ballot line belongs to the people of Maine. pic.twitter.com/RKVyLU76tm
— Graham Platner for Senate (@grahamformaine) July 9, 2026
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