Graham Platner, the Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate in Maine, officially withdrew his candidacy on July 10, ending a campaign marked by several controversies, including recent accusations of sexual assault. Maine’s secretary of state confirmed that Platner filed the necessary paperwork to remove his name from the November ballot, two days after he publicly announced his intention to exit the race.

In a letter shared on social media, Platner expressed gratitude to his supporters and called for the continuation of the movement he helped build, emphasizing the need for “a new kind of politics.” He highlighted the more than 156,000 votes he received in the June 9 primary, stating, “My name may have been on the ballot, but that ballot line belongs to the people of Maine.”

Platner’s letter did not address the sexual assault allegations that surfaced earlier in the week, which influenced his decision to suspend his campaign. In an 11-minute video posted on July 8, he denied the allegations, calling them false and accusing the Democratic establishment of using them to undermine his campaign.

The Maine Democratic Party is now preparing to hold a nominating convention to select a replacement candidate before the July 27 deadline. Several contenders, including former state senator Troy Jackson, Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, and Nirav Shah, former director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, have already begun seeking the nomination.

Platner’s campaign had also faced scrutiny over past controversial Reddit posts and reports of extramarital sexual texts, which his wife disclosed to campaign advisers as a potential liability.

Sources