Graham Platner’s exit from the U.S. Senate race in Maine after a woman accused him of rape had Democrats scrambling Thursday to find a replacement candidate and repair the damage done to the party.
And the finger‑pointing was well underway about how Mr. Platner — long scrutinized for his Nazi tattoo and sexist comments on social media — made it so far without a more thorough vetting.
Democrats chastised Mr. Platner’s inner circle and top allies for ignoring clear warning signs that culminated in his ugly departure. It has dented the party’s hopes of ousting Republican incumbent Sen. Susan Collins and flipping control of the U.S. Senate.
Trying to pick up the pieces, the Maine Democratic Party plans to hold a nomination convention to select a Platner replacement before July 27. Party leaders were still sorting out the details as candidates began lining up.
Nirvah Shah, fresh off finishing second in the Maine gubernatorial primary, became the latest Democrat to jump in, vowing to fight for Medicare for All, raise taxes on billionaires and corporations, rein in ICE and end President Trump’s “reckless foreign wars.”
“This race is not about one person or one seat. It is about everyday Mainers,” he said in a video announcement. “I’ve shown up and fought for you before, and I am ready to do it again.”
SEE ALSO: Platner ends whirlwind Senate bid after rape allegation
The scramble to find a Platner replacement comes roughly a month after he cruised to victory with more than 154,000 votes — about 72% of all ballots cast — in the Democratic primary. The second‑place finisher, Gov. Janet Mills, had pulled the plug on her campaign in late April after concluding voters wanted a fresh face and she had little hope of closing the gap on Mr. Platner.
Mr. Platner had weathered earlier scandals, but everything collapsed this week after Jenny Racicot, a 41‑year‑old Maine resident, told Politico she dated Mr. Platner on and off for two years and said he showed up drunk at her home uninvited late one night in 2021 and forced her to have sex with him despite her repeated objections.
Mr. Platner’s left-wing coalition — including Sen. Bernard Sanders of Vermont — abandoned him, dooming his bid.
Mr. Platner denied the rape allegation before dropping out of the race in defiant fashion, blaming the Washington establishment for his downfall.
“The brutal political reality is that they are going to take everything away from us,” Mr. Platner said in the video announcing he was suspending his campaign. “We are going to lose our ability to fundraise. We are going to lose our ability to access voter data [and] all the things that any campaign needs on the basic level to function.”
It has unleashed a scramble to replace him.
In addition to Mr. Shah, who led the state’s coronavirus response, former state Senate President Troy Jackson — a fifth‑generation logger and another failed gubernatorial candidate — announced he was running.
“For the sake of the progressive movement that was behind him and the millions of people across America who put their trust in that movement, that was the only acceptable thing to do,” Mr. Jackson said in a fundraising email. “Now, we have to focus on what comes next. Defeating Susan Collins in November is non-negotiable — and I’m all in.”
Mr. Jackson has long been a far‑left favorite and has already secured the support of Rep. Ro Khanna, the California Democrat who previously endorsed Mr. Platner and campaigned with him shortly before the latest allegation surfaced.
Jordan Wood is also entering the race after recently losing the 2nd Congressional District primary. Dan Kleban, a co‑founder of the Maine Beer Company, threw his hat in as well.
“It’s time for a new generation of leadership in Washington, one that’s not beholden to the establishment that has failed us time and again,” Mr. Kleban said Wednesday in a statement.
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