By Tarini Parti

Democratic nominee Graham Platner said he would suspend his campaign for Senate in Maine, ending a run that had drawn broad grassroots support but was plagued by controversy.

Platner announced his exit in a video Wednesday night, in which he blamed the media and political establishment for acting as "judge, jury and executioner" and continued to fiercely deny the allegations against him.

The decision came several days after a woman he was romantically involved with publicly alleged that he sexually assaulted her. The allegation, which Platner denied, prompted top Senate lawmakers and close allies to rescind their endorsements, cut off funding and call for him to drop out.

Democrats are scrambling to find a backup candidate in what they see as a must-win race against Republican Sen. Susan Collins, with a deadline later this month to put a new name on the ballot. The Democratic State Committee of Maine announced Wednesday that it would hold a nominating convention, but it didn't lay out details of who would attend or what the threshold for winning the nomination would be set.

Platner's scandals and exit from the race have jeopardized Democrats chances of taking back the majority in the Senate, which Republicans currently control 53-47. Maine Democrats now have until July 27 to name a different nominee. Collins is the only GOP senator seeking re-election in a state that voted Democratic in the 2024 presidential election, making her the chamber's most vulnerable Republican.

If Democrats lose Maine, their path to the majority is far more difficult. They would have to win several states normally considered solidly Republican, such as Texas, Ohio and Iowa.

Potential Democratic replacement candidates include former state Senate President Troy Jackson, state Secretary of State Shenna Bellows and onetime state health director Nirav Shah. All three competed in the recent Democratic primary race for governor but finished behind former state House Speaker Hannah Pingree. Another possible candidate is Maine Beer Company co-founder Dan Kleban.

Platner, a 41-year-old Marine combat veteran and oyster farmer, rose from political obscurity to win his party's Senate nomination after drawing big crowds and donations on an argument that both political parties had betrayed Maine's workers by favoring corporations and the wealthy. He easily pushed aside the candidate Democratic leaders had favored, Gov. Janet Mills, who dropped out in April.

But he faced scrutiny over a trove of old Reddit posts with problematic comments, a covered-up Nazi-linked tattoo, and an admission that he sent sexually explicit texts to women while married.

The executive director of the Maine Democratic Party Tuesday night accused Platner of repeatedly trying to put a "thumb on the scale of what this process looks like" to choose his successor. A Platner campaign official disputed the account in a statement, but confirmed the campaign had reached out to the party "to try and understand what this process would look like."

Ahead of Platner's exit announcement, influential progressive Sen. Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.) said Tuesday that he had spoken with Platner and "in light of these very serious allegations, I have recommended that he step aside."

In an incident reported earlier by Politico, Jenny Racicot, a 41-year-old Maine resident, said Platner forced himself on her about five years ago and had nonconsensual sex with her after she told him repeatedly to stop. She had previously told the New York Times that he didn't respect women and that she had cut off contact with him after finding his behavior "reckless" and "unsettling.

Platner launched his campaign in August after progressive strategist Dan Moraff encouraged him to run. Moraff rushed the vetting process, asking a research firm for an expedited, cheaper review to be done within days, The Wall Street Journal previously reported.

Platner's campaign reported $2.2 million in cash on hand as of May 20, according to its Federal Election Commission filing. Federal rules allow it to contribute unlimited amounts of its remaining funds to the Democratic Party and limited amounts to other candidates. The campaign took in $16.3 million during the election cycle, its filings show, although a post-primary filing due next week will likely add to that figure.

Write to Tarini Parti at tarini.parti@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

July 08, 2026 20:28 ET (00:28 GMT)