Maine Democrat Graham Platner suspends Senate bid after allegation
Why it matters: Democrats see Maine as a must-win seat in their push to flip four Republican-held seats and retake the Senate.
Democratic Senate nominee Graham Platner suspended his Maine campaign Wednesday, two days after a report published a sexual assault allegation from an ex-girlfriend tied to a 2021 incident. Platner denied the allegation, but support collapsed within hours. National and state Democrats, including Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, pulled their backing, and the national party cut off campaign funding. Platner had been the party’s challenger to Republican Sen. Susan Collins in a race viewed as critical to Democratic hopes of winning Senate control in November. His exit also reopened tensions between the party’s progressive and moderate wings after earlier controversies failed to stop his primary win.
Sources
- The New York TimesTier 180% reliableRead →6 hours ago