The Maine Secretary of State's Office confirmed they had received Platner's notice that he was withdrawing from the race. His withdrawal comes in time for Democrats to put forward a new candidate.Show Caption
Graham Platner, the controversial U.S. Senate candidate in Maine plagued by a sexual assault allegation that he denies, is officially out of the race, the Maine Secretary of State's Office confirmed Friday, July 10.The state's confirmation that Platner asked to have his name removed from the ballot comes after the former candidate announced July 8 that he would be suspending his campaign. According to the secretary of state's office, Platner removed his name from the ballot in time for the Democratic party to choose a replacement candidate.Platner shared his letter asking for his name to be removed from the ballot in a post on X without comment."On June 9th, 156,084 Mainers voted for a new kind of politics. One that is representative of people down here in the real world - not billionaires, oligarchs, or the political establishment," Platner said in the letter. "Over the past eleven months, thousands and thousands of Mainers poured their hearts, time, and talent into a movement to deliver that vision. I will be forever grateful to them."He added: "In submitting this letter today, I seek to further the movement we have built together and the future we believe in."According to state authorities, the Democrats have until July 27 to find a replacement for Platner. The secretary of state's office said it will soon announce how the party can put forward a new candidate in the high-stakes race where Democrats are aiming to win an elusive GOP-held seat.The political catastrophe for the oyster farmer has major stakes. Whether Democrats can unseat longtime Republican Sen. Susan Collins could determine their ability to take back control of the Senate in November's midterm elections. If they succeed, they could block much of President Donald Trump's second-term legislative agenda.Why did Platner face calls to step down?Platner, a 41-year-old oyster farmer and retired Marine, faced a broad chorus of calls from fellow Democrats to exit the race following a new allegation that he sexually assaulted an ex-girlfriend nearly five years ago. Platner has denied the accusation, saying any claims about "non-consensual behavior" are "categorically untrue."The sexual assault allegation isn’t the only controvery to catch the oyster farmer. Among other issues, he had a tattoo of a skull and crossbones that resembled a Nazi symbol. Old Reddit posts showed him asking "Why don’t black people tip?" and saying that rural White Americans "actually are" racist and stupid. Platner has since covered up the tattoo and apologized for the posts, saying he was struggling mentally after returning from the military.How did Platner become the candidate for the Democrats?Platner became the Democrats’ official candidate in their bid to take down Collins after he won the Maine Democratic primary. The controversial figure won in a landslide with over 70% of the vote. Main Gov. Janet T. Mills came in second with under 20% of the vote though she suspended her campaign ahead of the vote.According to reporting by the Bangor Daily News, Platner became a candidate after local union leaders reached out to him in July 2025 as someone likely to appeal to the state’s working-class voters. His controversial Reddit posts came to light only a few months later, including posts where Platner downplayed sexual assault, The Washington Post reported.A string of sexual misconduct allegations, including a rape accusation, prompted prominent Democrats to withdraw their endorsements from the one-time populist hopeful.
