Populist Democrat Graham Platner has suspended his campaign to be Maine‘s next U.S. senator after a report published Monday in which a woman accused him of sexual assault.
“We’re suspending campaign operations,” Platner said in a video on Wednesday evening while insisting the allegations were false and designed only to derail his campaign.
“I just want to make it clear, this is all false. The things that have been claimed did not happen. It’s not real,” he said, later adding, “This was the last week to try to get me off of the ballot, and that’s why this is occurring.”
Platner repeatedly emphasized the role of the “political establishment” and “corporate media” in his withdrawal from the race, saying they “got to act as judge, jury, and executioner” before any investigations could take place. He later lamented that “we live in a political system that is not built for normal people. It is a system that is built structurally to make sure that movements like ours cannot flourish.”
Looking to his replacement, Platner urged Democrats to be “open” with their nominating system. “I’m not asking for how this process is going to work, I’m not trying to dictate to anyone who it should be or how we get there, but I will say this: it needs to be open, transparent, and democratic,” he said.
“My name might be on the ballot right now, but that ballot line belongs to the people of Maine, and on Nov. 3, it needs to belong to the people of Maine, and the next Democratic senator for Maine needs to belong to the people of Maine,” he continued.
Just minutes before his announcement, the Maine Democratic Party said its members voted to hold a nominating convention and that more details would be released “soon.”
“We will keep the public informed throughout the process — transparency is of the utmost importance,” the party said.
Monday’s sexual assault allegation against Platner was the latest controversy to come the oyster farmer-turned political candidate’s way. Between having to answer for a now-covered-up tattoo resembling Nazi imagery he had on his chest, a series of controversial social media posts, and having to respond to allegations that he displayed disturbing behavior in past relationships, the sexual assault allegation came as the final shoe to drop.
After Platner’s former romantic partner came forward and shared her sexual assault experience in a bombshell Politico report on Monday, many big-name Democrats who had stood with Platner through the previous allegations, including Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA), began pulling their endorsements from Platner’s political campaign, with the Senate hopeful also dipping in the polls.
Platner said Monday that he was going to take some time to “reflect” on his campaign’s “best path forward,” but then announced that he would be dropping out of the campaign entirely. He had until July 13 to drop out of the Senate race. Before the report dropped, Platner canceled three campaign events scheduled for this week.
The Senate Leadership Fund, the main Republican super PAC, credited Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) with ousting Platner.
“Democrats have not suddenly embraced moral clarity. Graham Platner was never an acceptable nominee for Chuck Schumer, his billionaire donors, and the beltway media. Now, at the 11th hour, the Democrat Establishment has tipped the scales against Maine voters in an attempt to salvage their failing midterm strategy. Regardless of who Washington Democrats install, Senator Susan Collins will win in November,” the super PAC said in reaction to Platner’s exit.
FETTERMAN TELLS SANDERS TO APOLOGIZE FOR ENDORSING ‘PREDATOR’ GRAHAM PLATNER
With Platner now off the ballot, Democrats have until 5 p.m. on Monday, July 27, to replace his name on the ballot in the general election to challenge incumbent Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME).
Democrats could mull options such as Gov. Janet Mills (D-ME), who previously dropped her primary bid against Platner, or former gubernatorial candidate Troy Jackson.
