Graham Platner’s ruined campaign in Maine adds pressures for Democrats

WASHINGTON— U.S. Senate candidate Graham Platner’s campaign was on the decline in Maine on Tuesday after he was accused of rape, adding uncertainty to a contest that is central to determining which party will win control of the Senate in the November midterm elections.

That set off a rapid-fire debate about how the state’s Democrats would choose a replacement for Platner if he withdraws and which figures in Maine could best leverage the progressive messages Platner has used to win voters’ support.

Watched by Maine Democrats as the key seat to win Analysts said the decision would pose major risks to their long-term bid for a Senate majority. Meanwhile, with uncertainty clouding the race, the shakeup could put additional pressure on the party to win Senate races in states seen as harder to flip.

Platner denied the rape allegation made against him Policy report On Monday, a woman said Platner forced her to have sex with him while he was drunk. Platner said Monday he would “consider” his candidacy but did not withdraw.

“The calculation by almost everyone on the Democratic side is that a race with Platner in it is an unwinnable race,” said John Cluverius, director of polling research at the UMass Lowell Center for Public Opinion. “They have a much better chance without Platner.”

Platner, an oyster farmer and veteran sailor, had entered the race to challenge Republican Sen. Susan Collins as an outsider and appeared to be leading a wave of anti-establishment support.

His candidacy highlighted the divide within his party between progressives and establishment Democrats and represented a match between an older incumbent and a younger candidate from the outside.

By Tuesday afternoon, Platner’s financial support had begun to dissipate and leading Democrats had withdrawn their support; That included Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), a key supporter of Platner, who said Tuesday afternoon that he had told Platner to stand down.

A spokesman for Platner’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday.

Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Fremont), one of Platner’s most visible supporters, quickly withdrew his support Monday.

Khanna, a prominent supporter of victims of late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, wrote to X: “I have been very clear that sexual assault or violence against women is the red line. These allegations are very serious and credible.”

The California congresswoman was among progressives, including Sanders and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), who had previously sided with Platner. Khanna had met for Platner at a preschool event in June, following a series of allegations reported by the New York Times about the “disturbing” behavior of the candidate’s exes and the following: He sent sexually explicit messages to women outside their marriage.

Platner’s collapse follows that of former California Rep. Eric Swalwell, whose bullish campaign for governor ended in April after he was accused of sexual assault.

As in the case of Swalwell, Platner’s support quickly unraveled, leaving him with very little in the way.

The Senate Majority PAC, the Democrats’ official Senate campaign arm and aligned with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, is withdrawing investments from the race, its leaders said in statements. Swing Left, an organization trying to flip Democratic seats. Maine removed For now, the target is Senate races.

“We continue to believe that this seat can be won if the floor is not on the ballot,” said Senate Majority PAC spokeswoman Lauren French.

Under State LawPlatner must step down by Monday before the Maine Democratic Party can nominate a replacement. The committee would have until July 27 to do so.

Analysts said facing a new candidate for Collins could lead to a tougher race than facing Platner.

The fifth-term senator has won re-election multiple times, including in 2020 when the state went blue in the presidential election, but has faced the ire of some moderate and left-leaning voters who want him to push back more forcefully against President Trump.

Without Maine, Democrats would have to run an additional race in a state that went for Trump in 2024 to flip the four seats needed to win the majority.

To reach the four, the party must win a mix of Maine, North Carolina, Ohio, Texas and Iowa, as well as retain seats in Michigan, Georgia and New Hampshire.

This scenario may be achievable for Democrats, but they face a steep climb. New York Times/Siena poll Found published last week.

“This puts tremendous pressure on Democrats of all valid races across the country,” said David Niven, who teaches American politics at the University of Cincinnati. “The margin of error was already very small and now it is approaching zero.”

In Texas, a heated and expensive race has taken shape between Republican Ken Paxton, the state attorney general, and Democrat James Talarico, a state representative.

“I suspect Democrats will be relatively fully involved in Texas because they will no longer be able to rely on Maine as much as they think they do,” said Mark Jones, a political science professor at Rice University.

The Politico report follows a series of other controversies for Platner, who successfully defeated them ahead of the state’s June primary.

His meteoric rise in the campaign has excited Democrats seeking younger, non-establishment leaders. His main rival, Maine Gov. Janet Mills, cleared the way by suspending her campaign in late April.

But questions about this Hasty examination of Platner appeared soon.

He faced scrutiny for a tattoo of a slice and a tattoo on his chest that is widely recognized as a Nazi symbol, which he later said he covered up. Reddit posts deleted He said the comments were “stupid” from a time when he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder.

Report of his extramarital texts before the primary and claims of ex lovers his volatile behavior has revived questions about his candidacy; Platner described them as politically motivated and privately assured Democratic leaders that nothing more would follow.

“Strengthening” status[s] More careful examination is needed [of] “They are first-time outside candidates,” said Dan Schnur, who teaches political communications at USC, UC Berkeley and Pepperdine.

“Every political professional knows that the most important type of candidate research is not opposition research, but research on your own candidate,” Schnur said.

While progressive leaders on Monday rejected Platner, they sought to affirm the success of Platner’s campaign in energizing Maine voters. They called on Democratic leaders to stick with a candidate who shares Platner’s working-class image if he withdraws, which Platner has done May I hope to impressAccording to the New York Times.

“To the democratic order: this is not your opening,” said Joseph Geevarghese, executive director of the progressive organization Our Revolution. in question in a statement. “The person who moves this movement forward has to be someone who has actually lived the struggle that Graham Platner waged.”

Some Democrats, including Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, former state Sen. Troy Jackson and former state health official Nirav D. Shah, were already seeking the party’s gubernatorial primary candidates as possible replacements.

Mark Brewer, a political science professor at the University of Maine, said the July deadlines will give Democrats enough time to convince voters of a new candidate before November, but how the party chooses its replacement will likely be as important as who it chooses.

“Having a 100-person executive committee pick this on its own probably wouldn’t sit well with Platner’s supporters,” Brewer said. “It’s a meeting they can achieve; if they want to be as open and inclusive as possible, that’s probably their best option.”

McDaniel reported from Washington and Kwok reported from Los Angeles.