Graham Platner, the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Maine, formally withdrew from the race on July 10 after filing official paperwork with the Maine Secretary of State.
Platner’s withdrawal comes two days after he posted an 11-minute video announcing his intent to leave the contest following an allegation of rape from a former romantic partner; he has denied the allegation. In his notice of withdrawal he said supporters voted for “a new kind of politics” and thanked those who backed his campaign.
He closed the notice with a strongly worded line reflecting his progressive stance: “F*ck ICE. Free Palestine. Up the Hearts.”
In the July 8 video, Platner said he was suspending his campaign because it was no longer viable financially, warning the campaign would lose its ability to fundraise, access voter data and perform other basic functions. He said dropping out was not an admission of guilt but a decision intended to preserve the broader progressive movement’s chance to unseat Republican Sen. Susan Collins in November.
Platner blamed the “political establishment” for pushing him out and said forces were working to prevent the movement he helped build from succeeding if he remained the nominee.
Despite a string of controversies after launching his bid, Platner won the Democratic primary on June 9 with more than 150,000 votes — a record for a Democratic Senate primary in Maine. He ran on a progressive platform focused on affordability, universal health care and removing corporate money and influence from politics.
Many national and state Democrats and progressives, including Sen. Bernie Sanders, urged Platner to step down following the allegation.
The Maine Democratic Party has until July 27 to select a replacement nominee. Party leaders say they will hold a nominating convention of roughly 600 delegates and make the process public and transparent. Prospective candidates have until July 15 to declare and must collect signatures from at least eight of Maine’s 16 counties to qualify.
Several figures have already signaled interest in replacing Platner, including former state Senate president Troy Jackson and former Maine CDC director Nirav Shah, both of whom previously ran for governor. Platner called for the replacement process to reflect the voters who turned out in the June 9 primary and urged Democrats to honor the movement that supported his campaign.