Schumer calls – After a new sexual assault allegation surfaced, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand urged Maine nominee Graham Platner to immediately withdraw and said the DSCC would not fund the race if he remains on the ballot.
The political ground shifted again in Maine on July 6. after a new sexual assault allegation thrust Graham Platner back into the center of a campaign already under heavy scrutiny. Just as Platner’s Democratic nomination had been secured on June 9, Schumer and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand moved to cut him off—calling for him to withdraw and warning Democrats the party’s resources would stop behind him.
“The allegations reported today are incredibly disturbing – violence. abuse and sexual assault are absolutely unacceptable. ” Schumer and Gillibrand said in a joint statement. “Graham Platner needs to immediately withdraw as the Democratic nominee for Senate and allow Maine Democrats the opportunity to choose a new candidate who can defeat Susan Collins.”.
They also delivered what Democrats described as the financial blow his campaign could not easily survive. They said the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, or DSCC, would not invest in the Maine Senate race if Platner is on the ballot.
The new accusation comes from a Maine woman Platner previously dated. She said he forced her to have sex with him nearly five years ago. Platner denied the account. In response to the reporting that came out after work published by Politico and CNN on Monday. July 6. he said that “any accusation of non-consensual behavior is categorically untrue.”.
The timing was especially jarring for a race that Democrats had been trying to keep alive. With the goal of unseating longtime Republican Sen. Susan Collins, the allegation quickly upended one of the most critical midterm matchups Democrats have been tracking.
Platner had already faced scrutiny connected to a Nazi-linked tattoo. but this round of backlash struck harder and spread faster across the national party. State leaders in the Maine Democratic Party immediately called on him to withdraw his candidacy. In a statement. they wrote: “We are entrusted with deciding who represents our values and who carries our banner. ” adding that “That responsibility requires judgment. leadership. and a willingness to act when circumstances demand it.”.
In a video statement after the new reporting, Platner said he would be reassessing his campaign. He did not immediately step aside. “Regardless of the inaccuracy of the reporting. but mindful of the political reality it will inflict. we are taking the time to reflect on the best path forward. ” he said.
Rep. Ro Khanna. D-California—who. like other Democrats. had previously stood by Platner during earlier controversies—pressed for a clearer line now. In a statement. he said. “I’ve been very clear that sexual assault or violence against women is a red line. ” and he added that “These allegations are very serious and credible.”.
Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Arizona, said the accusations made by a woman named Jenny Racicot were “troubling and deeply serious.” He said on social media he was rescinding his endorsement, though he did not initially explicitly say Platner should step aside.
Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-New Mexico, also weighed in, saying in a statement: “These are very serious allegations and they should be treated as such.”
Other Democrats aiming for office distanced themselves from Platner’s campaign as well. Rep. Haley Stevens. running in the moderate lane in battleground Michigan. said there “should be no room for this conduct in the U.S. Senate or any public office.” Alex Vindman, seeking to unseat Republican Sen. Ashley Moody in Florida, said Platner should “immediately drop out.”.
The question now is whether Democrats can move fast enough to change the roster before the general election math turns against them. Under Maine law, Platner would need to drop out by Monday, July 13. After that, any new candidate would have to declare their candidacy by Monday, July 27.
With Schumer and Gillibrand tying party funding to whether Platner stays on the ballot, every day between July 6 and July 13 is likely to carry outsized weight—both politically and for the people in Maine watching whether the party they support is willing to redraw the race in real time.
Graham Platner Chuck Schumer Kirsten Gillibrand DSCC Maine Senate race Susan Collins sexual assault allegation DSCC funding