Maine Democratic Party criticizes Platner team for trying to influence process to replace him

The Maine Democratic Party says the campaign of Senate candidate Graham Platner has attempted “to put their thumb on the scale” in picking someone to replace him in the race against Sen. Susan Collins, should he withdraw from the race.

“We’ve repeatedly reiterated to Graham Platner’s 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,” Devon Murphy-Anderson, executive director of the Maine Democratic Party, said in a statement. “We have also reiterated that Graham Platner must drop out of this race so that Democrats in Maine can focus on defeating Susan Collins this November.”

“We look forward to making this process public as soon as Graham Platner formally withdraws from this race.”

Platner adviser denies New York Post report

Morris Katz, a political adviser for Platner, denied a report from the New York Post that Katz is recommending that his candidate stay in the race.

The Post cited an anonymous source in its report.

Democrats plot process for replacing Platner

Maine Democrats are currently making plans to replace Graham Platner as the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate.

Platner has until Monday to inform the Secretary of State’s office that he’s dropping out, a move that would allow the party to replace him. But state law and the party’s charter are vague about the process, and seem to give the party broad discretion in choosing a replacement.

Washington Post: Ex-girlfriend of Platner says he removed condoms without consent during sex

A second woman has accused Platner of nonconsensual sexual conduct, The Washington Post reported in a story posted Tuesday night. Lyndsey Fifield told The Post that Platner repeatedly removed condoms during sex without her knowledge or consent while they were in a relationship from 2013 to 2015.

Platner’s campaign denied the allegation, calling it “categorically false and politically motivated.” The accusation came a day after another former girlfriend, Jenny Racicot, accused Platner of raping her in 2021 — an allegation he has also denied but has led to an avalanche of calls for Platner to drop out of the race.

Paige Loud files as candidate for Senate race

Former 2nd District candidate Paige Loud moved Tuesday to officially join those who are vying to potentially replace Graham Platner as the Democratic candidate for Senate.

Paige Loud answers a question during a CD-2 Democratic primary debate hosted by Maine Public and the Portland Press Herald in Lewiston on Thursday, May 28, 2026. (Brianna Soukup/Staff Photographer)

Loud, a 29-year-old social worker with no previous political experience, finished a distant fourth in the Democrats’ primary race for the U.S. House seat. Matt Dunlap, the former secretary from Old Town, won that race and is set to face off against Paul LePage, the former Republican Maine governor, to represent the state’s 2nd Congressional District.

With opponent’s candidacy spiraling, Collins campaign stays true to form

As support for Graham Platner collapsed, Sen. Susan Collins’ reelection campaign on Tuesday afternoon posted online a video montage of her visit to Machias on Independence Day. In the video, featuring upbeat background music, she shakes hands with constituents and poses for photos.

“I was reminded once again of the warmth, kindness, and strong sense of community that make Maine so special,” reads a caption accompanying the post from her campaign Instagram account.

Women-led PAC: Platner ‘deserves due process … but these allegations are credible’

March on PAC, a women-led political group that formed out of the 2017 Women’s March following President Donald Trump’s first inauguration, said Tuesday it was “proud to stand behind Graham Platner in the first place” but now is joining others in calling on him to step down.

“His campaign spoke to working people who have been ignored for too long, and we stood with him because that fight matters,” March On PAC Executive Director Andi Pringle said. “But our belief in a better world does not bend for politics. Not now, not ever. Graham Platner deserves due process, like anyone else. We will not decide his guilt. But these allegations are credible, and credible allegations cannot become a distraction from the fight in front of us: beating Susan Collins. That is disqualifying on its own.”

Maine Democratic voters react to Platner rape allegations

The last 24 hours have created an extraordinary situation for Maine Democratic Party officials and voters alike. Platner’s supporters are reeling from the revelations as they try to square their support for the man and his ideas with the acts and behaviors he stands accused of.

Read the full story here.

Jared Golden breaks silence on Platner

U.S. Rep. Jared Golden on Tuesday broke his silence on Maine’s U.S. Senate race, saying a Maine woman’s accusation that she was sexually assaulted by Graham Platner “speaks for itself.”

Unlike other prominent Democrats and activist groups, Golden did not explicitly call for Platner to drop out of the race after Politico detailed Jenny Racicot’s accusations of a 2021 sexual assault.

Platner, conservative PAC pulling advertisements

Graham Platner’s campaign has halted its advertising on Facebook and Instagram, Meta’s ad tracker shows.

Platner’s campaign was running about two dozen ads on the social media sites as recently as Monday evening, according to the tracker, but none of them remained active after Platner said he was “taking the time to reflect on the best path forward.”

Troy Jackson files to explore Senate run

Former Maine Senate President Troy Jackson moved Tuesday to form a exploratory committee that would position him to potentially replace Graham Platner as the Democratic candidate for Senate on the November ballot.

Troy Jackson points during a February debate in Auburn in the Maine governor’s race. (Russ Dillingham/Staff Photographer)<?xml version="1.0"?> Purchase this image

Tuesday’s filing with the Federal Election Commission listed the formation of a “Troy Jackson Senate Exploratory Committee” and is designated to allow the Allagash Democrat to begin raising money without formally declaring his candidacy.

No answer at Platner’s Portland campaign office

PORTLAND — Graham Platner’s campaign office in Portland, on the edge of the Back Cove neighborhood just off the peninsula, appeared to be unoccupied Tuesday.

The campaign rents part of a unit in a warehouse-like building that also includes a coffee shop and a distillery. The doors to the campaign’s space were locked, and no one answered when a reporter knocked early Tuesday afternoon.

Who could replace Platner? Here are the names being floated.

As calls grow for Graham Platner to drop out of the Maine Senate race, some are already lining up to replace him on the ballot. Others are being discussed in Maine Democratic circles but have yet to publicly say whether they’d be interested.

The list includes three of the unsuccessful Maine Democratic candidates and several other prominent state Democrats. Read the full story here.

Bernie Sanders says Platner should ‘step aside’

Bernie Sanders, the independent senator from Vermont, said in a post on X that he has spoken with Graham Platner and “recommended that he step aside.”

U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, left, joins hands with Graham Platner at an event in Orono on May 24. Sanders says Platner should withdraw from the Senate race in light of the sexual assault allegation that surfaced Monday. (Robert F. Bukaty/Associated Press)

Sanders, the progressive kingmaker, was one of Platner’s first major endorsements last summer. He has campaigned with Platner in Maine and had stood by the embattled nominee amid other scandals.

Senate candidate David Costello says he’s ‘back in’ if Platner withdraws

David Costello, the Brunswick Democrat who finished third in Maine’s Democratic Senate primary last month, said Tuesday morning that he is “back in, if Graham Platner withdraws.”

In a brief statement posted to social media, he pointed interested parties to his campaign website and past social posts.

Stephen King: ‘If he committed rape,’ then Platner ‘should bow out’ of race

Renowned Maine author and outspoken liberal Stephen King on Tuesday posted that his earlier remarks that he hoped Graham Platner would not drop out of the Senate race were not a defense of the candidate.

King clarified that he thinks Platner “should bow out” if he committed rape. (Jenny Racicot, a Maine Democrat, told Politico in an article posted Monday that Platner forced her to have sex with him in 2021.)

“Not defending Grah, Platner. If he committed rape, he should bow out. Just making a comparison,” King wrote on X late Tuesday morning. He subsequently posted simply “Graham” after the misspelling in his first post.

King posted Monday that “Graham Platner may drop out. (I hope he doesn’t, but.) Meanwhile, the Abuser in Chief just keeps on keepin’ on,” apparently referring to President Donald Trump.

In a subsequent post Monday, King had written: “Tell you what–if you knew the whole truth about everyone in the Senate and House of Reps, those chambers would be dead empty. Jesus said, ‘Let him without sin cast the first stone.’”

Nirav Shah says he is fielding calls from Mainers about replacing Platner

Nirav Shah, the runner-up in Maine’s Democratic gubernatorial primary, said in a statement Tuesday that he and his team have “received hundreds of encouraging messages” as calls for Graham Platner to withdraw grow.

“Right now, our number one priority must be defeating Senator Susan Collins,” Shah wrote in a lengthy statement posted Tuesday morning. “I have been having conversations with my wife, my team, and Mainers across the state about what comes next and evaluating whether I should enter the Senate race.”

Sierra Club withdraws support of Platner

The Sierra Club, a major grassroots environmental organization, on Tuesday withdrew its endorsement of Graham Platner and called on him to drop out.

“The Sierra Club’s thoughts are with Jenny Racicot for courageously sharing her story. Victims of sexual violence must be listened to and provided our caring and support. Their lives are not for political gamesmanship,” Sierra Club Political Director Sarah Burton said in a written statement.

Former VP candidate Walz says Platner should drop out

Tim Walz, the Minnesota governor and 2024 running mate for Kamala Harris, joined the growing wave of Democrats calling for Graham Platner to drop out.

In a post on X on Monday night, Walz called the sexual assault allegation against Platner “deeply disturbing.”

Mamdani: ‘Time for him to drop out of the race’

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a prominent progressive and graduate of Bowdoin College, said Tuesday that Graham Platner should drop out of the Senate race.

“I believe that it’s time for him to drop out of the race,” Mamdani said of Platner during a news conference Tuesday, later adding: “I think that the focus of today should be to respond to the gravity of what so many of us have read, and I think that the only appropriate response is for the campaign to end.”

The mayor, who graduated from Bowdoin in 2014, had not endorsed Platner and noted that he has focused on supporting candidates in the New York area instead of wading into national politics.

Rashida Tlaib latest prominent Democrat to rescind endorsement

U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, a prominent Michigan progressive, said Tuesday morning on X that she is withdrawing her endorsement of Graham Platner, calling the allegations against him “devastating.”

Tlaib, a member of “The Squad” of left-wing Democratic House members, said Platner should be “replaced by a progressive fighter who will deliver for the people and help win back the Senate.”

Progressive group founded by Sanders says Platner should drop out

Our Revolution, a progressive organization founded by independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, said Graham Platner should withdraw because the allegations “are too serious to treat as a distraction from the campaign or the issues,” the Associated Press reported.

Sanders, a prominent early supporter of Platner’s candidacy, has not yet spoken publicly about the latest allegations against him; he did not respond to a request for comment from the Press Herald on Monday about whether he continues to support him.

Key Democratic funders have ended support of Platner

Even if Graham Platner chooses to remain in the Senate race, his path to victory against Susan Collins could be stifled by a lack of financial support from key Democratic apparatuses that have now withdrawn their support.

“Senate Majority PAC is redirecting resources away from the Maine Senate race in light of the latest allegations against Graham Platner,” spokesperson Lauren French said in a statement Monday. “We continue to believe this seat is winnable if Platner is not on the ballot, but we cannot strategically continue to invest here when there is an expansive battleground map where these resources can help win a Democratic majority.”

‘Draft Troy’ website launched to encourage former Maine Senate president to run

Supporters of former Maine Senate President Troy Jackson have launched a website calling on the third-place Democratic gubernatorial candidate to run for U.S. Senate in place of under-fire nominee Graham Platner.

A cardboard addition of “Troy Jackson” is seen Tuesday taped over a Graham Platner for Senate sign in Hallowell. (Joe Phelan/Staff Photographer)<?xml version="1.0"?> Purchase this image

The website, drafttroy.com, urges Jackson, a progressive from Allagash, to step into the race in Platner’s stead. The website calls him a “champion of working people” and includes a petition to “draft” Jackson. Jackson previously endorsed Platner but rescinded his support and called on him to withdraw from the race Monday evening.

Maine Democrat: There are ‘at least 100’ other candidates better than Platner

A Maine lawmaker who previously supported Graham Platner and represents a key swing city did not mention Platner by name in saying Monday that he was “ashamed I’ve been quiet this long.”

“There are at least 100 Maine Democrats with substantially more policy making experience and moral rectitude than our current nominee for the U.S. Senate,” said state Rep. Adam Lee, D-Auburn. “We’ve spent 10 years watching Republicans bend themselves into a pretzel to justify their support for a charismatic yet morally bankrupt person who has been credibly accused of sexual assault. I refuse to do that.”

Republican Senate committee leader releases statement

U.S. Sen. Tim Scott, a South Carolina Republican and chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, released the following statement Tuesday morning on the Maine Senate race:

“The Democrat candidate in Maine will either be an alleged rapist with a Nazi tattoo, or someone he selects with the same ‘values and vision,’” Scott said.

Stephen King says he hopes Platner stays in the race

Stephen King, the prominent Maine author and outspoken Democrat, said in an X post Monday evening that he doesn’t want Graham Platner to drop out of the Senate race.

“Graham Platner may drop out. (I hope he doesn’t, but.) Meanwhile, the Abuser in Chief just keeps on keepin’ on,” King wrote, apparently referring to President Donald Trump.

King’s post contrasted with the growing calls from national and Maine Democrats who say the latest allegation against Platner should prompt him to end his campaign.

In a subsequent post, King wrote: “Tell you what–if you knew the whole truth about everyone in the Senate and House of Reps, those chambers would be dead empty. Jesus said, ‘Let him without sin cast the first stone.'”

Susan Collins calls allegations ‘appalling’

Graham Platner’s Republican opponent, incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins, said in a statement to media outlets that the allegations against Platner are “appalling.”

“Nevertheless,” she added, “it is not up to me to choose the Democratic nominee for Senate.”

Punchbowl News: Party leaders believe Platner will drop out as soon as Tuesday

Democratic Party leaders believe Graham Platner will drop out of the Senate race as soon as Tuesday, possibly even Tuesday morning, Punchbowl News reports.

The D.C.-based news site said former Maine Senate President Troy Jackson, former Maine CDC head Nirav Shah, Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows and former congressional candidate Jordan Wood are all being weighed as potential options to replace Platner on the ballot.

Warren, Khanna and Jackson withdraw endorsements

High-profile supporters of Graham Platner have withdrawn their endorsements.

That included one of his most steadfast supporters, former Maine Senate President Troy Jackson, who finished third in last month’s gubernatorial primary and is already been floated in some circles as a possible replacement for Platner as the Senate nominee.

What are Maine Dems’ options if Platner drops out?

Only Graham Platner can decide to give up his place as the Democratic nominee for Senate in an election considered crucial for Democrats’ aspirations to retake the chamber from Republicans.

If he drops out before 5 p.m. on July 13, the Maine Democratic Party would then have two weeks to decide who would replace him.

Platner town halls scheduled for Monday were postponed

Two town hall events with Graham Platner were postponed Monday, hours before the publication of a Politico story in which a Maine woman accused the Senate candidate of sexually assaulting her in 2021.

Platner had been scheduled to hold the town halls in Gorham and Sanford on Monday evening.