A woman who previously dated Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner said he drunkenly forced her to have sex after she told him to stop, according to a Politico report released Monday, leading prominent supporters to pull their endorsements and throwing a must-win race for the party into turmoil.
Platner denied the allegation, but said he would be considering next steps for his campaign.
“Regardless of the inaccuracy of the reporting but mindful of the political reality it will inflict, we’re taking the time to reflect on the best path forward,” he said in a video released on social media.
Jenny Racicot, who lives in Maine, told Politico that Platner entered her home in 2021 while drunk and assaulted her. Racicot said she had been in an on-and-off relationship with Platner, but she cut off contact with him after that night and told him the incident wasn’t consensual. A voicemail left at a number listed for Racicot seeking comment did not receive an immediate response.
Platner’s campaign did not immediately respond to an email and phone message from The Associated Press seeking comment.
“Any accusation of non-consensual behavior is categorically false,” Platner said in his video.
Still, the allegation sparked a flight away from a candidate who has long been controversial. Rep. Ro Khanna, a California Democrat who’d stood by Platner even as the insurgent candidate was hit with prior allegations, said Monday’s was enough. “I’ve been very clear that sexual assault or violence against women is a red line,” Khanna said. “These allegations are very serious and credible. Graham Platner should drop out from the race. I am withdrawing my endorsement.”
Edit: holy shit, these comments are insane.
Regardless of what you believe with this, Platner likely cannot win anymore. He has a week to do the right thing and drop out before he’s fully locked in. If he actually gives any sort of a shit (and doesn’t just want power, like rapists seeking office tend to), he needs to drop out yesterday.
This is the nail in the coffin for his campaign. It’s not time to defend him no matter what, because there’s still a week where a new candidate can be put into place. Instead of being mad at people not wanting to vote for him, you should start vocally supporting another candidate.
Ok. Let’s elect him anyway. Instead of resigning, let’s have him pick a progressive replacement. He can run on the promise of resigning the day after he’s sworn in. That would serve justice and support victims.
Yet, something tells me this obvious solution won’t make people happy, almost like they’re not actually primarily concerned about supporting rape victims…
He can step down now and the Democrats can replace him. Primaries aren’t controlled by the state. The party can do what it wants. So why wait?
Because Kamala. If you have to pick someone short notice, you’ll end up with another unelectable milquetoast corporate Dem.
I’d rather have a milquetoast corporate Dem than a rapist. I’d vote for one quicker than for a rapist anyways.
You’re up against fascists. Your comment translates to
“I’d rather die than fail this purity test”
Credible sexual assault accusations and a Nazi tattoo combined with his blackwater history are indictments on his character. If we’re overlooking rape and Nazi shit we’d just be republicans.
Susan Collins isn’t a fascist.
I often don’t agree with her, but she voted with both the Biden and Obama administrations over 70% of the time.
And I reject that this is a “purity test.” This isn’t them not aligning 100% with some fringe ideology. This is someone who is literally a rapist. Literally raped real women by force.
If this is the best candidate we can put forward, we deserve to lose.
Every single Republican and moderate Democrat, regardless of voting record, is a fascist sympathizer.
“If this is the best candidate we can put forward, we deserve to lose”
OK so you are absolutely saying you would rather die than dirty your hands?
Look man, you’re using a lot of phrases that don’t really mean what you seem to think they do.
“Dirty your hands” usually means that you’ll engage in some mud slinging or attack another candidates family or something. It doesn’t mean supporting someone who has violently raped multiple women.
To turn it back on you, using the terms correctly, are you saying that a rapist with a Nazi tattoo is preferable to a moderate Dem so long as they can pass a purity test?
If by “purity test” you mean “would be willing to vote on incarcerating every sitting republican and establishment democrat in the country” then yes.
Our opponents just sentenced a dozen people to life in prison for printing magazines. Do you not think the stakes are high? We have, officially, reached kill or be killed.