Graham Platner has withdrawn from the Maine Senate race, despite winning over 70% of the vote in the state's Democratic primary. His exit comes after a second rape allegation surfaced against him. Platner announced his withdrawal in a video statement.
Platner's decision to leave the race follows allegations from multiple women who claim he engaged in non-consensual behavior. One woman, Jenny Racicot, described an incident where Platner allegedly grabbed her pelvis and was "really forceful" with her. Another woman, Lyndsey Fifield, accused Platner of removing contraception without her consent.
Platner has denied the allegations, calling them "troubling, serious, and false." He stated that any accusation of non-consensual behavior is "categorically untrue." Despite his denial, the Maine Democratic Party has distanced itself from Platner.
The Maine Democratic Party has announced plans to develop a "representative, transparent and inclusive process" to select a new nominee. The party's executive director expressed frustration with Platner's efforts to "manipulate this process" but emphasized the importance of an open process to select his replacement.
With Platner out of the race, a new candidate has already emerged. Dan Kleban, co-founder of Maine Beer Company, has announced his candidacy to replace Platner. Kleban has called for an "open, transparent process" to select the party's nominee and has expressed his readiness to "fight for Mainers" and bring new leadership to Washington.
