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.
The problem is, he has less than a week to decide to drop or not.
The impact on his candidacy won’t be known until AFTER the deadline to drop.
Which is why people are saying the accuser is politically motivated.
Then I guess he has a week to gauge the reaction. I’m sure the “It’s politically motivated” excuse will help some people ignore it but I have no idea if that will be enough.
Oh, it won’t. Dude is absolutely toast. He can bow out now, or lose to Susan Collins. There is no other option.
She has multiple sources of proof way before his campaign even started
Don’t mistake questioning the timing with not believing it happened.
She comes out with it now, one week before the deadline instead of during the primary? Or at any other time since 2021?
When the first allegation came out, that would have been a perfect time to #MeToo! and she did not. She could have dropped it with the Nazi tattoo stuff “Oh, yeah, not just a Nazi, but a rapist too!”
It likely happened the way she described it, and It will absolutely tank his candidacy, but the timing smells. She SHOULD have killed him in the primary.
She said she didn’t want to come out because of people like you. She also didn’t want to be seen as a victim. She has messages dating all the way back to as many women as she could tell, be careful dating him. She has proof you’re just a rape apologist
People like me saying “Don’t wait! Do it now!”? I’m fully supportive that she came forward, but she literally picked the worst time to do it.
She had the opportunity to stop him before he ever got this far, and only choosing to do it now, even true, adds suspicion to the accusation where there should be none.
You know the accusations can be true and still have a political agenda? Like victims are people with all the same potential flaws as anyone. Its almost as if you think they are perfect people without agency who can’t do anything.
Hell let the lady have a hobby if both are true. She can be correct in her accusations and want to destroy him politically.
I mean if you’re fine with rapists and child fuckers in office then you need to look at your priorities
Quite literaly the opposite of my stated position but if you need to put everyone in the rape and pediphiliac bucket then I guess no one can stop you.
Kinda like spinning a cow in your head.
What’s the proof?
As a survivor I’m fucking tired of this bullshit. It’s fucking on CNN and other news outlets, look it up yourself or look at my comment history.
Men are all rapists to me if they choose not to believe a woman when she’s been warning people since 2021
You said there are multiple sources of proof. I’m just asking what it is and where it can be seen.
And Women and anyone else you don’t like it seems.
Also, as an enjoyer of argument I still take umbrage with you using a traumatic past as a cudgel to beat us over the head with.