After a campaign already surrounded by controversy, Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Graham Platner is facing growing pressure from within his own party to end his bid following a rape allegation.
Platner is still considering what to do next, according to The New York Times. The paper cited a person familiar with internal campaign discussions who said Platner would not step aside without conditions.
“If he was to step down it would only be with a guarantee of being replaced by a candidate who he believes is true to the values and vision and policy agenda of the campaign that Maine voted for,” the person said.
According to Semafor, Platner wants to make sure a progressive remains the Democratic nominee if he leaves the race. One name reportedly being discussed is Troy Jackson, a former Maine state Senate president who finished third in the state’s Democratic gubernatorial primary. Jackson has also been backed by Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, one of the most influential figures in the progressive movement.
Our Revolution, the Sanders-aligned political group, is now calling on Platner to withdraw. The group is also urging Democrats to nominate someone who, in its words, “lived the fight Graham Platner ran on.”
Platner has weathered several controversies during his campaign. He has faced questions about an alleged Nazi tattoo on his chest, criticism over offensive and inflammatory social media posts, allegations that he cheated on his wife, and claims that he was abusive toward former girlfriends. Until now, those issues had not pushed him out of the race.
That changed this week after Jenny Racicot accused Platner of sexually assaulting her. In several media interviews, Racicot said Platner attacked her at her home in 2021 and described the incident as rape.
If Platner withdraws by July 13, Maine Democrats would have broad authority to choose a replacement nominee. State law does not require the party to use a specific process in that situation.
According to The New York Times, Democrats in Maine have discussed possible options, including a July 25 pop-up convention or a statewide caucus. The paper also reported that the state party committee is not expected to make the final choice. That committee has about 100 members.
Platner has said he will “reflect” on the future of his campaign as support from Democrats has quickly weakened.
Some progressives are warning party leaders not to use the moment to install a more establishment-backed candidate.
“A small caucus of party insiders cannot be trusted to nominate the shake-up-the-system outsider this moment calls for,” Adam Green of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee said, according to The New York Times.
Joseph Geevarghese, the executive director of Our Revolution, also warned against turning to a moderate such as Gov. Janet Mills, who ended her own primary campaign.
“To the Democratic establishment: this is not your opening,” he said.