Platner ‘taking time to reflect’ on future of Senate campaign after allegations of sexual assault emerge
Maine Democratic Senate nominee Graham Platner said he is “taking the time to reflect on the best path forward” on his campaign against Republican Senator Susan Collins after an explosive allegation of sexual assault from a former girlfriend.
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On Monday, Politico reported that Jenny Racicot, a 41-year old Maine resident who used to date Platner, alleged an intoxicated Platner entered her home in 2021 and forced himself on her, despite her clearly not consenting.
In response, Platner recorded a direct-to-camera video saying that “any accusation of non-consensual behavior is categorically false.” But he did not commit to remaining in the Senate race, acknowledging that he was “mindful” of the “political reality” of the story.
Last month, Platner, a 41-year old oyster farmer and combat veteran, overwhelmingly won the Democratic primary election to secure the nomination. But if he were to withdraw from the race within the next week, it would kick off a process through which Maine Democrats could replace him.
In the immediate wake of the story, Platner’s most important national Democratic backers were silent — including Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts. In April, Warren endorsed Platner and traveled to Portland to rally with him in front of over 1,000 supporters. A spokesperson for Warren did not provide comment to the Globe on the Politico story on Monday afternoon.
The Democratic Senate Campaign Committee, the official party arm controlled by Senate Minority Chuck Schumer, did not respond to a request for comment. Platner was never Schumer’s pick: that was Governor Janet Mills, who the leader heavily recruited to run, and who bowed out of the race in April after failing to gain traction.
Since Platner’s primary win, Democratic leaders signaled their support for Platner, but it was clearly tepid; some Democrats had even begun suggesting the party could achieve a Senate majority without winning Maine, a previously unthinkable prospect.
But the Politico story, only the latest troubling and damaging story concerning Platner’s conduct and character, could fundamentally alter a race with massive implications for power in Washington and one that has already inflicted infighting and headaches on Democrats.
The incident five years ago was previously described in a New York Times story last month, but only that Platner visited her home after he was told not to, that he was already drunk, and that the encounter was so bad the woman asked to never see or have contact with him ever again.
Racicot, who like Platner lives in Down East Maine — and said she agrees with Platner’s politics — detailed her story to Politico further and for the first time. She said Platner entered her unlocked home to find her on a couch. After repeatedly telling him “no” to sexual contact, she told reporters over three different interviews that she retreated to her bedroom.
“I remember him grabbing my pelvis and being really forceful of me,” Racicot told Politico. “I remember the specific moment where I thought to myself, like, ‘This is no longer my choice.’”
She backed up her recollection with notes to her therapist and messages she sent to another friend. The man she dated after Platner also confirmed what she had told him about that night, long before Platner was a candidate.
Platner said the allegation was “troubling, serious, and false” in a video response to the Politico story.
“Any accusation of non-consensual behavior is categorically false,” he said.
It’s unclear what Platner’s statement that he is “taking time to reflect” means, but time is of the essence. Under Maine law, Platner could drop his Senate bid and be replaced by the state Democratic Party with someone else if this all happens by Monday, July 13.
Prior to the Politico story coming out Platner had not been seen campaigning over the July 4th weekend and his campaign canceled three events scheduled for this week.
The Maine Democratic Party has several options on who to replace him with including Mills, who ran for the seat but suspended the campaign over poor poll numbers and fundraising. Another option is retiring US Representative Jared Golden.
There are also more Platner-aligned options like former state Senate president Troy Jackson and Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, both of whom Platner ranked as his choices for governor in the Democratic primary but lost. Nirav Shah, the former director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, placed first in the initial round of voting in the governor primary but ultimately lost to Hannah Pingree after ranked-choice tabulation; he remains well-liked by many Democrats.
Platner won 72 percent of votes in the June 9 primary election to secure the Democratic nomination. Though his only opposition was Mills — who had suspended her campaign by then — and a third candidate who was not registering much in polls, the result was seen as an affirmation of his resilience.
In the days leading up to the primary, the Wall Street Journal reported that Platner has been texting with women who were not his wife as recently as 2025, and then the Times published their investigation on his dating history.
Indeed, it was just the latest round of negative stories for Platner since October when initial accounts surfaced about a Nazi-era tattoo on his chest he has since covered, and full trove of embarrassing, racist and misogynistic social media posts that were over a decade old. Platner admitted to those saying that came from a dark time after combat tours in Iraq and that he suffers from PTSD.
Despite all of this, however, Platner is still neck and neck with Collins according to the recent round of polling in the contest.
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