Graham Platner speaks to a crowd of over 6,000 before Bernie Sanders gets on stage at Fighting Oligarchy rally at the Cross Insurance Arena in Portland on Monday, September 1, 2025. (Brianna Soukup/Staff Photographer)`

Graham Platner on Wednesday ended his underdog bid for U.S. Senate amid an allegation that he sexually assaulted a Maine woman in 2021 — an allegation he denies.

Since Platner will have withdrawn before 5 p.m. on July 13, the Maine Democratic Party has until July 27 to choose a replacement candidate. It’s not clear how or when that will happen. 

In an 11-minute video posted to X, Platner struck a defiant tone, flatly denying the allegations made by Jenny Racicot and criticizing what he called the corporate media for its reporting.

“This was the last week to try to get me off of the ballot,” Platner said. “That’s why this is occurring.”

Platner said he was leaving the race because the resources he would need to win — money, access to voter data and “all of the things that any campaign needs at the basic level” — would no longer be available in the wake of the scandal. Large organizations, the national Democratic party and big donors had all pulled support from Platner in recent days.

He also called for the process to select a replacement nominee to be “open, transparent and democratic.” “It needs to reflect the will and the values of the people that built this movement,” he said.

The Maine Democratic Party announced shortly before Platner released his video that its state committee members voted to hold a nominating convention to replace him, but details such as the timeline and requirements for candidates will be announced later.

Platner’s withdrawal marks a shocking end to one of Maine’s most surprising political stories in recent memory. 

A political newcomer, he went from a largely unknown oyster farmer and combat veteran to a leading candidate for U.S. Senate virtually overnight last summer. 

His campaign launched in August with a splash of national press with the help of the out-of-state political operatives who helped elect Sen. John Fetterman, D-Penn. and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani to their respective posts.

Platner’s candidacy was boosted by Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders when the pair held a joint rally last Labor Day in Portland that drew about 6,500 people. 

Over the last year, Platner held a series of well-attended town halls, amassing a devoted following and thousands of volunteers. His progressive platform of taxing billionaires and calling for expanded social programs and his harsh criticism of the political status quo inspired thousands of Mainers to join his campaign as volunteers.

But by October, he was put on the defensive as details of his online commenting history came to light, in which he blamed women for being raped, called rural Americans racist, questioned why Black people don’t tip and used homophobic slurs. 

Platner then revealed a skull-and-crossbones tattoo he got while on leave with fellow Marines in Croatia in 2007. He said he didn’t know it resembled a Nazi Totenkopf until reporters began asking about it last fall. 

His campaign remained remarkably resilient. Gov. Janet Mills was the top pick of national Democrats in Washington, D.C., but she suspended her campaign for the Democratic nomination in April after trailing in polling and fundraising. 

But additional reports surfaced close to the June primary. 

The Wall Street Journal reported that Platner sent sexually explicit messages with numerous other women shortly after getting married in 2023. 

The New York Times then reported “disturbing” behavior as described by at least two ex-girlfriends. One woman accused Platner of grabbing her forcefully by the wrists, shoulders and arms during arguments.   

Platner denied any accusations of physical assault. 

But Politico’s story about the alleged sexual assault proved to be the final straw. 

That story detailed an account from Racicot, a Maine Democrat, who dated Platner casually for two years. She said Platner arrived at her home drunk in 2021 and forced her to have sex with him. 

Platner denied the accusation Monday, and said his campaign was taking time to reflect on his path forward. 

By Wednesday, he’d announced he was leaving the race.

Reckoning Action, an organization dedicated to defeating misogyny and gender bias that has provided support to Racicot, celebrated Platner’s decision in a statement Wednesday. Its Executive Director Cheyenne Hunt said the work to defeat Republican Sen. Susan Collins can continue without him.

“Maine voters should have never been put in this position to begin with,” Hunt said. “His rise was a universal failure that required far too many people to ignore glaring red flags and accept his rampant misogyny and pattern of abuse as an appropriate trade-off for a golden boy progressive candidate.”

Attention in the Senate race will now turn to the Democrats hoping to replace Platner, who are likely to include several of the candidates that lost in the June primaries for governor and Congress.

Former Maine Senate President Troy Jackson announced Wednesday night he is getting in the Senate race. Former Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention Director Nirav Shah, the runner-up in the governor’s race primary, and Secretary of State Shenna Bellows have also said they are considering a run.

Republicans, meanwhile, said the chaos surrounding Platner’s exit will only boost Collins’ chances.

“Regardless of who Washington Democrats install,” said Alex Latcham, executive director of the Senate Leadership Fund, a group dedicated to preserving Republicans’ majority in the Senate, “Senator Susan Collins will win in November.”