Graham Platner Maine Senate Allegation

Maine Senate Candidate Graham Platner Faces Calls to Withdraw After Assault Allegation

7 verified5 unconfirmed

Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Graham Platner is facing growing pressure to end his campaign after a sexual assault allegation was published by Politico. The accuser, whom Platner dated, alleged in interviews with Politico and CNN that he raped her in 2021. Platner has denied the allegation, calling it false, but said he is assessing his next steps. High-profile Democrats, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, have called for Platner to withdraw, with Schumer stating the party’s campaign arm would not spend in the race if Platner remains on the ballot. Platner previously faced scandals involving sexually explicit messages with multiple women and past online comments disparaging sexual assault victims. Maine election law requires a general election candidate to drop out by the second Monday in July, which falls on July 13, to allow for a replacement to be selected. The race is considered key to Democratic hopes of retaking the Senate, with incumbent Republican Senator Susan Collins seen as vulnerable.

What’s verified

Graham Platner is the Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in Maine.

He faces a sexual assault allegation first reported by Politico.

Platner denies the allegation.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and other Democrats have called for Platner to withdraw.

Platner has stated he is assessing his next steps.

Maine law requires a general election candidate to withdraw by the second Monday in July (July 13) to allow a replacement.

Platner previously faced controversies involving sexually explicit messages and past online comments disparaging sexual assault victims.

Not yet confirmed

The accuser, Jenny Racicot, alleges the assault occurred in 2021. (Single source)

Politico reported it corroborated the allegation by reviewing messages between Racicot and her therapist and speaking with individuals she confided in. (Single source)

NPR has not independently verified the claims. (Single source)

Prediction markets showed Platner’s probability of dropping out surged from 9% to 96% on the day of the report, while the probability of Democrats winning the election increased by about 9 percentage points. (Single source)

Analysis from the prediction market data estimates Platner reduces the Democratic chance of winning by about 10 percentage points compared to an unknown replacement. (Single source)