The allegation reported Monday prompted a chorus of calls for Platner to depart the high-stakes race against Republican Sen. Susan Collins, which could decide party control of the Senate. Platner's long-time backer, Sen. Bernie Sanders, “recommended that he step aside.” Then, Tuesday evening, The Washington Post reported that an ex-girlfriend of Platner’s had accused him of removing condoms during sex without her consent.
Platner, who has denied all the allegations, has been mum on whether he'll step aside. And the Maine Democratic Party, charged with creating a process to pick his replacement, hasn't publicly announced their plans.
On Tuesday night, Executive Director Devon Murphy-Anderson released a video saying the party is developing an “open, inclusive, transparent and fair” process but won't disclose details until Platner withdraws. Platner’s team has repeatedly tried to “put their thumb on the scale," she said.
“We have repeatedly reiterated to Graham Platner’s team that they have no role in determining our next Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate, nor in determining what this process looks like,” she said.
An official for the Platner campaign responded that it “has reached out to the party to try and understand what this process would look like” and “at no point has the campaign tried to ‘put its finger on the scale.’” The official added that thousands of Maine residents voted and volunteered for Platner and they should play a role in the decision.
“While Graham wouldn’t want to be a part of the process, he would want to make sure the voters and volunteers make this decision — not the political establishment,” the statement said.
So far, the succession battle has played out in a murky power vacuum. A growing number of candidates are teasing their entry into the race as a fight shapes up between the progressive wing and the establishment camp of the Democratic Party.
Platner became a populist hero among the party’s left flank, pulling far ahead of an establishment-backed candidate, Gov. Janet Mills, in the primary. Now, progressive groups fear that political ground could be lost.
“To the Democratic establishment: This is not your opening,” said Joseph Geevarghese, who leads Our Revolution. The organization founded by Sanders backed and then withdrew its endorsement of Platner after the sexual assault allegation. The group said Tuesday that it was “rallying behind” another progressive contender, Troy Jackson, who announced he's “exploring” a candidacy.
The sexual assault allegation against Platner
In the allegation published Monday by Politico, a woman whom Platner previously dated said he drunkenly forced her to have sex after she told him to stop. It is the latest in a string of controversies the first-time candidate had weathered, but the seriousness of the assault claim was too far for many of his supporters in the Democratic Party.
Jenny Racicot, who lives in Maine, told Politico that Platner entered her home in 2021 while drunk and assaulted her. Racicot said she had been in an on-and-off relationship with Platner, but she cut off contact with him after that night and told him the incident wasn’t consensual. She said in a CNN interview on Monday evening that she opted not to fight back for fear of Platner, a former Marine, becoming more violent.
Replacing Platner may further divide Democrats
The pressure for Platner to withdraw from the Senate race has only increased given the short deadlines Maine law allows for replacing general election candidates. There is no mechanism for Democrats to remove Platner from the ballot, and the deadline to withdraw is 5 p.m. July 13. State law gives the authority to choose a replacement to the state party. Any replacement candidate must be named by July 27.
The lack of communication from Platner and the state's Democratic Party has contributed to some confusion about what comes next as candidates tentatively toss their hats in the ring.
Some are arguing that the next Democrat should echo Platner’s progressive messaging, pointing to his success at rallying voters across the state. Others cautioned that having ties to Platner will only doom an already uphill campaign against Collins. Many are pushing for an open process even with limited time.
