Soon after news broke Monday that a woman who had previously dated Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner accused him of rape — an allegation he has denied — his campaign reached out to former Sen. Barbara Boxer.

A woman who previously dated Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner said he drunkenly forced her to have sex after she told him to stop, according to a Politico report released

Graham Platner, the progressive Democrat running for Senate in Maine, has been accused of sexual assault and says he will weigh his options.

Some rushed to defend the embattled Senate nominee, while others called to move on given the severity of the allegations.

Under Maine law, Platner has just one week — until next Monday — to remove his name from the ballot.