Maine oyster farmer Graham Platner’s insurgent campaign to defeat Republican incumbent Susan Collins is now on death watch after credible allegations of sexual assault surfaced against him, prompting a rapid mass exodus of his endorsers and supporters. Though Platner denies the allegations, he initially signaled in a video statement that he’s considering his options. Below are the latest updates on the state of Platner’s campaign and what might happen in Maine’s Senate race without him.
Platner’s fellow Democratic candidates for Senate in other states have begun to call for his exit in Maine. Texas state representative James Talarico said in a statement, “The credible allegations against Graham Platner cannot be ignored—he should withdraw from the race immediately.”
In Michigan, both candidates vying for the Democratic Party nomination urged Platner to drop out. “There should be no room for this conduct in the U.S. Senate or any public office. Graham Platner must step aside,” Representative Haley Stevens said on social media.
Former public health official Abdul El-Sayed also commented on the Platner reporting, writing on social media, “Credible allegations of sexual assault cannot be ignored. Voters in Maine deserve a choice for US Senate that doesn’t force them to make a moral compromise between sexual violence or corporate servitude.”
