Graham Platner, the populist Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate in Maine, suspended his campaign on July 10, 2026, amid allegations of sexual misconduct. A woman who dated Platner accused him of drunkenly forcing her to have sex despite her telling him to stop, an allegation he denies.

Platner recorded an 11-minute vertical video outside his Maine home at 4 p.m., accompanied by aides including Ben Chin and Morris Katz, an adviser to New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani. Despite advisers urging him to adopt a conciliatory tone, Platner instead used the video to criticize establishment Democrats and the media, blaming them for the abrupt end to his political rise.

In his statement, Platner spoke of "larger forces" working against him, claiming he was blindsided by press inquiries without time to respond or for investigations, and accused a corporate media system and political establishment of acting as "judge, jury and executioner."

He suggested a conspiracy to prompt Jenny Racicot, a 41-year-old Maine resident, and other women to come forward with accusations, while also referencing his own controversial social media posts and a Nazi tattoo.

Platner’s exit drew comparisons to the parting words of Richard Nixon after Watergate: “Always remember, others may hate you, but those who hate you don’t win unless you hate them, and then you destroy yourself.” However, his farewell was described as more reminiscent of Donald Trump’s reaction to his 2020 election defeat.

Sources