A woman who previously dated Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner said he drunkenly forced her to have sex after she told him to stop, according to a Politico report released Monday, leading prominent supporters to pull their endorsements and throwing a must-win race for the party into turmoil.
Platner denied the allegation, but said he would be considering next steps for his campaign.
“Regardless of the inaccuracy of the reporting but mindful of the political reality it will inflict, we’re taking the time to reflect on the best path forward,” he said in a video released on social media.
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. A voicemail left at a number listed for Racicot seeking comment did not receive an immediate response.
Platner’s campaign did not immediately respond to an email and phone message from The Associated Press seeking comment.
“Any accusation of non-consensual behavior is categorically false,” Platner said in his video.
Still, the allegation sparked a flight away from a candidate who has long been controversial. Rep. Ro Khanna, a California Democrat who’d stood by Platner even as the insurgent candidate was hit with prior allegations, said Monday’s was enough. “I’ve been very clear that sexual assault or violence against women is a red line,” Khanna said. “These allegations are very serious and credible. Graham Platner should drop out from the race. I am withdrawing my endorsement.”
Edit: holy shit, these comments are insane.
Regardless of what you believe with this, Platner likely cannot win anymore. He has a week to do the right thing and drop out before he's fully locked in. If he actually gives any sort of a shit (and doesn't just want power, like rapists seeking office tend to), he needs to drop out yesterday.
This is the nail in the coffin for his campaign. It's not time to defend him no matter what, because there's still a week where a new candidate can be put into place. Instead of being mad at people not wanting to vote for him, you should start vocally supporting another candidate.
Maybe not. I just got done listening to Heather Cox Richardson -- a Mainer herself -- on the subject.
Noting that HCR has never offered a single word of endorsement for Platner (only that she thinks candidates for Senate should have some managerial experience prior to running) she now frames this as a great opportunity and lays out how Platner "was always going to be a heavy lift" because in a state that should be D+15, Platner has only ever run at +2. In addition, Collins has a dismal 17% approval rating, and there's still time to get a new candidate. According to HCR, there are a number of qualified individuals in Maine who could step into the Democratic slot and not only be good candidates but actually win.
You may agree, you may disagree, you may be tempted to call it hopium and maybe you wouldn't be wrong, but inasmuch as there's still time to get a different candidate on the D side who presumably will not bring a history of sexual misconduct with them it's not the worst thing, IMO.
That particular bit is at the 33 minute mark but overall it's an excellent listen:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkDRcv1pzT4