US Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Democratic US Senate candidate Graham Platner spoke during a Fighting Oligarch Tour stop at the Collins Center for the Arts on the University of Maine campus on May 24, 2026 in Orono.
(Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
US Sen. Bernie Sanders, among the earliest and most prominent congressional backers of Graham Platner's campaign to unseat Republican Sen. Susan Collins, has joined growing calls for the Maine Democrat to exit the race following sexual assault allegations."I have spoken with Graham Platner about the best path forward for Maine," Sanders (I-Vt.) said in a Tuesday statement. "In light of these very serious allegations, I have recommended that he step aside."
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