Democrats begin pulling Platner endorsements after Maine Senate candidate faces sexual assault allegation

By — Kimberlee Kruesi, Associated Press Kimberlee Kruesi, Associated Press By — Nicholas Riccardi, Associated Press Nicholas Riccardi, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/democrats-begin-pulling-platner-endorsements-after-maine-senate-candidate-faces-sexual-assault-allegation Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Democrats begin pulling Platner endorsements after Maine Senate candidate faces sexual assault allegation Politics Jul 7, 2026 10:08 AM EDT 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, leading prominent supporters to pull their endorsements and throwing a must-win race for the party into turmoil. Platner denied the allegation on Monday, but said he would be considering next steps for his campaign . WATCH: Tamara Keith and Carrie Dann on Platner facing calls to drop out of Maine Senate race "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. Educate your inbox Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else. 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, but she said in a CNN interview on Monday evening that she opted not to fight back for fear of Platner, a former Marine, becoming more violent. "He violated multiple layers of consent that night," Racicot said. READ MORE: How Maine Democrats view Platner's scandals and chances to oust Sen. Collins 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. Uproar in the Democratic Party Platner won the Democratic nomination last month, setting himself up to face Republican Sen. Susan Collins, who has beaten back previous attempts to dislodge her from the seat that she's held for nearly three decades. Although Platner has long been controversial, the sexual allegation sparked a flight away from the candidate, who canceled a handful of town hall events. The main campaign arm of Senate Democrats called on Platner to drop out and said it would spend no money on the race, which is considered critical to control of the chamber, if he is the nominee. WATCH: Takeaways from Tuesday's primaries and what they mean for November "Graham Platner needs to immediately withdraw as the Democrat