Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand said Mr. Platner should leave immediately and that they no longer intend to throw political resources behind him.
Plattner wins key U.S. Senate race with approval from Maine Democratic Party
Maine oyster farmer Graham Platner won the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate on June 9, despite intense scrutiny over his Nazi-related tattoos.
WASHINGTON — After months of defending Graham Platner’s scandal-plagued Senate campaign, prominent Democrats quickly condemned the oyster farmer following new sexual assault allegations.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Senate Democratic Party Director of Interim Operations Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand told him to immediately withdraw his candidacy.
They said the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) would not invest in the Maine Senate race if Mr. Plattner was on the ballot. A similar announcement was made by Senate Majority PAC, the official Senate fundraising fundraising arm of the Democratic Party. Both reversals were a financial death sentence for his campaign.
“The allegations reported today are deeply disturbing, and violence, abuse, and sexual assault are completely unacceptable,” Schumer and Gillibrand said in a joint statement. “Graham Platner should immediately withdraw as a Democratic candidate for Senate and give the Maine Democratic Party an opportunity to choose a new candidate who can defeat Susan Collins.”
The new accusations from a Maine woman who Mr. Platner previously dated, alleging that Mr. Platner forced her to have sex with him nearly five years ago, quickly upended one of the nation’s most important midterm campaigns to oust the longtime Republican senator.
Plattner denied the account, which was revealed in a Monday, July 6, report by Politico and CNN, saying “any accusation of non-consensual behavior is categorically false.”
The influence on the national political stage was rapid. Maine Democratic state leaders immediately called on him to withdraw his candidacy.
“We are responsible for deciding who represents our values and who flies our flag,” they said in a statement. “That responsibility requires judgment, leadership, and a willingness to act when the situation demands it.”
Mr. Platner said in a video statement in response to the new reports that he would reevaluate his campaign, but did not withdraw immediately.
“Regardless of the inaccuracy of the reporting, we are taking the time to reflect on the best way forward, mindful of the political realities it brings,” he said.
Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), a big-time progressive who, like other Democrats, had supported Mr. Platner and stumbled on his behalf amid past scandals, urged Mr. Platner to withdraw from the race.
“I have always been very clear that sexual assault and violence against women is a red line that cannot be crossed,” Khanna said in a statement. “These allegations are very serious and credible.”
Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) called the accusations by the woman, Jenny Racicot, “alarming and very serious.” He said on social media that he was rescinding his support, but did not initially say Platner should resign.
“These are very serious allegations and should be treated as such,” Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) said in a statement.
Leading Democratic Senate candidates also rejected Platner. “There is no place for this kind of behavior in the United States Senate or in any public office,” said Rep. Haley Stevens, a moderate candidate in the battleground state of Michigan. Alex Vindman, who is expected to oust Republican Sen. Ashley Moody from Florida, said Platner should “resign immediately.”
Democrats could replace Mr. Platner, but they would need to act quickly. Under Maine law, he must resign by Monday, July 13th. New candidates will then have until Monday, July 27th to declare their candidacy.
Zachary Schermele is USA TODAY’s Congressional Correspondent. You can email us at zschermele@usatoday.com. Follow him on X at @ZachSchermele and on Bluesky at @zachschermele.bsky.social..
