Maine Democrat Graham Platner Quits Senate Race After Assault Accusation
Democrat Graham Platner has stopped his campaign for the U.S. Senate in Maine. He decided to quit after facing many scandals, culminating in a recent accusation of sexual assault. This development is a major setback for the Democratic Party, which viewed this specific seat as an absolute necessity in their goal to win control of the Senate from Republicans this November.
As soon as the latest allegation broke, top Democrats immediately pressured Platner to drop out of the race.
The final blow to Platner’s campaign came from a news report on Monday. A woman named Jenny Racicot said that she had an on-and-off relationship with Platner for over two years. She claimed that an intoxicated Platner entered her home without permission and sexually assaulted her, leading her to break off all contact with him.
Racicot noted that she had previously spoken to reporters anonymously but decided to share her full story now despite her fears of losing her privacy.
READ ALSO: Otoge Is Our Collective Struggle, Not For Political Nomads, Founding Leaders Tell G15
On Wednesday, Platner posted an 11-minute video online fiercely denying the claims, calling them completely false and deeply hurtful. He insisted that stopping his campaign was not an admission of guilt, but rather a direct result of Democratic leaders threatening to cut off his campaign funding.
He complained that the media and the political establishment acted as judge, jury, and executioner before any real investigation could take place. Platner also said he would delay signing his official withdrawal paperwork until he receives a guarantee that the party will choose his replacement in a fair, open, and democratic way.
Platner’s campaign was already struggling before this week due to a series of other personal controversies. Earlier this year, people uncovered old Reddit posts where Platner wrote that victims of sexual assault should take responsibility for themselves and not get too drunk, for which he later apologized. In June, news reports revealed that Platner had exchanged sexual messages with other women while married, an account Platner admitted was true. Shortly after, three of his ex-girlfriends came forward to accuse him of angry and erratic behavior.
Losing Platner throws the Democratic strategy into chaos for the upcoming November elections. Winning in Maine against Republican incumbent Susan Collins was already considered a steep, uphill battle. To take control of the Senate, Democrats must hold on to all of their current seats, defeat Collins, and win three additional seats in other states.
Platner is now the second major Democrat to drop out of a high-profile race this year due to misconduct claims, following California Congressman Eric Swalwell, who resigned from Congress and ended his run for governor in April over separate allegations.
Balogun Daniel
