BREAKING: Graham Platner Withdraws from Maine Senate Race After Sexual Assault Allegations

Maine Democrat nominee for U.S. Senate Graham Platner has formally announced his withdrawal from the race following sexual assault allegations.

On Friday afternoon, Platner posted his letter wrote to the Maine Department of the Secretary of State on X. 

“In submitting this letter today, I seek to further the movement we have built together and the future we believe in,” Graham Platner wrote. “My name may have been on the ballot, but that ballot line belongs to the people of Maine. As such, please consider this notice as my official withdrawal from consideration for this office,” he continued.

The Maine Secretary of State’s office quickly confirmed they received the formal notice. “The Secretary of State’s Office today confirmed that a formal notice has been received from U.S. Senate candidate Graham Platner. A public declaration is not an official withdrawal, and a candidate must formally withdraw in writing to the Elections office, including signature,” read the press release.

Platner’s withdrawal from the race follows a sexual assault allegation from a woman he previously dated. Following the Politico story detailing the alleged 2021 incident, Platner suspended his campaign operations and the Maine Democratic party called for him to exit the race. 

Platner, a self-proclaimed democratic socialist, won the Maine Democratic primary on June 9, securing over 70% of the vote. “On June 9, 156,084 Mainers voted for a new kind of politics. One that is representative of people down here in the real world—not billionaires, oligarchs, or the political establishment,” Platner continued. 

“Mainers voted for Medicare for All; to ban billionaires from buying elections; and for an end to taxpayer-funded genocide and forever wars. They voted for time and dignity; for strong unions and jobs they can raise families on; for the hope of buying a home; for the chance to retire with grace. People are desperate for change. For this broken system to be righted. For the American experiment to be furthered. Over the past eleven months, thousands and thousands of Mainers poured their hearts, time, and talent into a movement to deliver that vision. I will be forever grateful to them,” the letter continued. 

Now Maine Democrats will replace Platner as the nominee with someone of their choice. Platner hopes to still have a say. Some candidates who have already thrown their hats in the race are cozying up to Platner, while others are keeping their distance. 

Thursday night, the Maine Democratic Party executive director, Devon Murphy-Anderson, finally addressed that candidates can begin to collect signatures and fill out the nomination form. “We are fully committed to transparency, so we are making those candidate rules available to everyone, and you can read them at mainedems.org. We are continuing to race toward the release of our fair and inclusive process to select a new U.S. Senate nominee, and we are not leaving this office until that process is in the hands of you, the people,” she said. 

According to the party, it will “hold a nominating convention to choose a new nominee.”