The swift collapse of Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner's campaign continued Monday, with the Democratic Party swiftly turning on him after a rape allegation surfaced.
Maine resident Jenny Racicot, 41, accused Platner of rape in interviews, alleging he entered her home uninvited while intoxicated nearly five years ago and forced himself on her despite her repeated attempts to stop him.
Racicot told interviewers that she immediately cut ties with Platner after the alleged encounter, saying, "I remember the specific moment where I thought to myself, like, 'This is no longer my choice.'" She described the alleged encounter as the "dictionary definition" of rape.
Platner denied the allegations in a statement, saying he was "taking the time to reflect on the best path forward" for his campaign.
However, the vast majority of Democrats signaled they were unwilling to give Platner that opportunity, with lawmakers racing to issue statements calling on him to immediately end his campaign.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, one of Platner's most prominent supporters, rescinded her endorsement, saying, "There can be no tolerance for sexual assault." Warren added that the best path forward was for Platner to step aside as the Democratic nominee and address the allegations outside the Senate race.
Rep. Ro Khanna, who had closely aligned himself with Platner, also withdrew his endorsement and called on him to exit the race.
The reaction among establishment Democrats was equally swift, with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Chair Kirsten Gillibrand publicly demanding that Platner "immediately" suspend his campaign.
The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee has vowed not to invest in the Maine Senate race if Platner remains on the ballot, and the Schumer-aligned Senate Majority PAC has said it will redirect resources away from Maine as long as Platner is in the race.
Democrats view Maine as a top flip opportunity to retake Senate control during November's midterm elections, but Platner's rapidly unraveling campaign could derail those plans.
His plethora of scandals, including a former Nazi-linked tattoo and infidelity during his marriage, has sharply divided Democrats as the party seeks to unseat longtime Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine.
Other lawmakers, including Sens. Mark Kelly and Elissa Slotkin, publicly urged Platner to end his campaign, while prominent Maine Democrats called on him to drop his Senate bid.
Left-wing organizations, including VoteVets and Our Revolution, also pulled their support of Platner, with the latter calling on him to leave the race and demanding that his successor share his far-left policy views.
