A credible allegation of rape against Maine Democrat Graham Platner is widely seen as likely to end his Senate campaign, despite Platner calling the charge “categorically untrue.” The political consensus suggests Platner could withdraw from the race imminently.
The allegation, made public by Maine resident Jenny Racicot through Politico and a CNN interview with Jake Tapper, claims that Platner, while intoxicated, had sex with her despite her repeated requests to stop. Since the accusation surfaced, Platner has lost significant support.
This controversy has exacerbated existing tensions within the Democratic Party. The progressive left, which had broadly supported Platner, now faces off against the centrist party establishment, which had long been skeptical of his candidacy and concerned that left-leaning candidates might jeopardize winnable races.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani (D), who had not formally endorsed Platner, stated on Tuesday, “I believe that it’s time for him to drop out of the race.”
Simon Rosenberg, a center-left strategist and author of the Hopium Chronicles newsletter, criticized those who promoted Platner, saying, “Clearly the people who promoted Platner should have done a far better job vetting him — and being honest about his vulnerabilities both in private and in public.”
Polling from this year’s Senate battlegrounds indicates that Platner and other leftist candidates like Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan face very tight general election match-ups, underscoring the stakes of the internal party conflict.
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