{"id":1783,"date":"2026-07-08T17:24:36","date_gmt":"2026-07-08T12:24:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=1783"},"modified":"2026-07-08T17:24:36","modified_gmt":"2026-07-08T12:24:36","slug":"succession-fight-is-already-underway-as-calls-mount-for-platner-to-drop-out-of-maine-senate-race","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=1783","title":{"rendered":"Succession fight is already underway as calls mount for Platner to drop out of Maine Senate race"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div data-testid=\"prism-article-body\">\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao MvWXB TjIXL aGjvy ebVHC \"><span class=\"oyrPY qlwaB AGxeB  \">PORTLAND, Maine &#8212; <\/span>Democratic nominee Graham Platner hasn&#8217;t resigned from the Maine U.S. Senate race following an allegation of sexual assault. But the succession battle to take his place was already underway Tuesday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">The allegation reported Monday prompted a chorus of calls for Platner to depart the high-stakes race against Republican Sen. Susan Collins, which could <a class=\"zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE \" data-testid=\"prism-linkbase\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/senate-democrats-platner-majority-ccd877475b8d97f13fdf5d1bf6040f8d\">decide party control of the Senate<\/a>. Platner&#8217;s long-time backer, Sen. Bernie Sanders, \u201crecommended that he step aside.\u201d Then, Tuesday evening, <a class=\"zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE \" data-testid=\"prism-linkbase\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/politics\/2026\/07\/07\/ex-girlfriend-graham-platner-says-he-removed-condoms-without-consent\/\">The Washington Post<\/a> reported that an ex-girlfriend of Platner\u2019s had accused him of removing condoms during sex without her consent.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Platner, who has denied all the allegations, has been mum on whether he&#8217;ll step aside. And the Maine Democratic Party, charged with creating a process to pick his replacement, hasn&#8217;t publicly announced their plans.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">On Tuesday night, Executive Director Devon Murphy-Anderson released a video saying the party is developing an \u201copen, inclusive, transparent and fair\u201d process but won&#8217;t disclose details until Platner withdraws. Platner\u2019s team has repeatedly tried to \u201cput their thumb on the scale,&#8221; she said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">\u201cWe have repeatedly reiterated to Graham Platner\u2019s team that they have no role in determining our next Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate, nor in determining what this process looks like,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">An official for the Platner campaign responded that it \u201chas reached out to the party to try and understand what this process would look like\u201d and \u201cat no point has the campaign tried to \u2018put its finger on the scale.\u2019\u201d The official added that thousands of Maine residents voted and volunteered for Platner and they should play a role in the decision.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">\u201cWhile Graham wouldn\u2019t want to be a part of the process, he would want to make sure the voters and volunteers make this decision \u2014 not the political establishment,\u201d the statement said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">So far, the succession battle has played out in a murky power vacuum. A growing number of candidates are teasing their entry into the race as a fight shapes up between the progressive wing and the establishment camp of the Democratic Party.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Platner became a populist hero among the party\u2019s left flank, pulling far ahead of an establishment-backed candidate, Gov. Janet Mills, in the primary. Now, progressive groups fear that political ground could be lost.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">\u201cTo the Democratic establishment: This is not your opening,\u201d said Joseph Geevarghese, who leads Our Revolution. The organization founded by Sanders backed and then withdrew its endorsement of Platner after the sexual assault allegation. The group said Tuesday that it was \u201crallying behind\u201d another progressive contender, Troy Jackson, who announced he&#8217;s \u201cexploring\u201d a candidacy.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">In the allegation published Monday by Politico, a woman whom Platner previously dated said he drunkenly forced her to have sex after she told him to stop. It is the latest in a <a class=\"zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE \" data-testid=\"prism-linkbase\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/graham-platner-susan-collins-senate-elections-8b01a5c9a6eb5dceae18496a9b6cdc64\">string of controversies<\/a> the first-time candidate had weathered, but the seriousness of the assault claim was too far for many of his supporters in the Democratic Party. <\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">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\u2019t consensual. 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.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">The pressure for Platner to withdraw from the Senate race has only increased given the short deadlines Maine law allows for replacing general election candidates. There is no mechanism for Democrats to remove Platner from the ballot, and the deadline to withdraw is 5 p.m. July 13. State law gives the authority to choose a replacement to the state party. Any replacement candidate must be named by July 27.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">The lack of communication from Platner and the state&#8217;s Democratic Party has contributed to some confusion about what comes next as candidates tentatively toss their hats in the ring. <\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Some are arguing that the next Democrat should echo Platner\u2019s progressive messaging, pointing to his success at rallying voters across the state. Others cautioned that having ties to Platner will only doom an already uphill campaign against Collins. Many are pushing for an open process even with limited time.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">\u201cNo one\u2019s enjoying this experience, and it seems like the consensus step forward should be having a fair and open process that everybody feels is legitimate,\u201d said Adam Green, co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, a political action committee that backed Platner but now calls for him to suspend his campaign.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">One possible contender, Nirav Shah, the former director of Maine\u2019s Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said Tuesday he was \u201cevaluating\u201d whether to join the race. Shah said he\u2019s been in contact with the Maine Democratic Party about ensuring a possible replacement process is based on \u201copenness, transparency and robustness.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">\u201cEvery single day that we don\u2019t have a nominee, and a process and a clear pathway for the nominee, is another day that we\u2019re letting Sen. Collins continue to get her message out,\u201d Shah told The Associated Press. &#8220;As of right now, it\u2019s not clear what the process will be.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Shah, who came in second in this year\u2019s Maine Democratic gubernatorial primary, added, \u201cI want to give the party grace, because we\u2019re building this plane as we\u2019re flying it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Maine&#8217;s governor, Mills, who sought the Democratic Senate nomination but dropped out before <a class=\"zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE \" data-testid=\"prism-linkbase\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/maine-senate-election-susan-collins-graham-platner-202ba010d7281db0dcd840d6c3ca0020\">the June 9 primary<\/a>, could be considered as another contender. Mills was supported by Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer but abandoned her campaign, saying she couldn&#8217;t raise the money needed to compete. <\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Another possible replacement is Jackson, Maine\u2019s former state Senate President, who unsuccessfully ran to be the Democratic gubernatorial nominee earlier this year with the backing of Platner and Sanders. Jackson filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission Tuesday to launch a Senate exploratory committee. <\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">\u201cRemember: Progressives overwhelmingly won the primary. A progressive MUST be on the ballot,\u201d Our Revolution said in a fundraising email, which described Jackson as a logger and union leader who helmed Sanders&#8217; past presidential efforts in Maine.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Jordan Wood, a former U.S. Senate candidate who then switched to unsuccessfully run for Maine&#8217;s 2nd District, posted Tuesday that he was \u201ccontinuing conversations\u201d with voters about joining the race. <\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Other names circulating include Shenna Bellows, the current Maine Secretary of State; Dan Kleban, founder of Maine Beer Co.; and Hannah Pingree, currently Maine&#8217;s Democratic gubernatorial nominee. <\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Bellows said in a statement she will \u201cseriously consider entering this race.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Joanie Monteith, a passionate supporter from the southern Maine town of York who organized <a class=\"zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE \" data-testid=\"prism-linkbase\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/platner-mills-collins-maine-senate-primary-democrats-5b0f903b66c3011b7a23681478ded710\">a trivia night about Platner<\/a> in March, said through tears Tuesday that she was devastated by the news. She was waiting for another public statement from Platner before making a decision about whether she could keep supporting him.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">\u201cI\u2019m numb, and I\u2019m waiting for what Graham has to say,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019m trying not to be a part of this public trial. And I\u2019m heartbroken. And I\u2019m heartbroken for him and his wife.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">She added that she believes the allegations are serious.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">\u201cI\u2019m not going to blame a victim. Because if this is true I feel very bad for the woman,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Another Maine voter, Lee Holman, said she wants Platner to stay in the race.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">\u201cI feel like the people of Maine have spoken,\u201d the Democrat said. \u201cIf they wanted Janet Mills, they could have voted for her.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">She said the allegation against Platner may be legitimate, but she questions the timing. Democrats, she added, can be too quick to \u201cthrow the baby out with the bathwater\u201d by calling on politicians facing allegations to resign.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">\u201cEvery time we think we have a chance to snatch our democracy back, something gets in the way,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">___<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC eTIW sUzSN \">Kruesi reported from Providence, R.I. and Bedayn from Austin, Texas. Matt Brown in Minneapolis and Ali Swenson in New York City contributed.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>PORTLAND, Maine &#8212; Democratic nominee Graham Platner hasn&#8217;t resigned from the Maine U.S. Senate race following an allegation of sexual assault. But the succession battle to take his place was already underway Tuesday. The allegation reported Monday prompted a chorus of calls for Platner to depart the high-stakes race against Republican Sen. Susan Collins, which&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1784,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/999c6d85-71ea-439c-ae73-4665b5b84a85\/wirestory_5ce04e85fc3f43a3faa90366dc3cd3a3_16x9.jpg?w=1600","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1783","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-political-news"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1783","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1783"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1783\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1784"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1783"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1783"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1783"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}