Graham Platner announced Wednesday that he was suspending his campaign for Senate, following a detailed report in Politico accusing him of sexually assaulting a woman in 2021. The allegation prompted widespread calls for him to drop out, including from the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), and left-wing streamer Hasan Piker. The deadline for Platner to withdraw his name from the ballot is Monday; if he does so, Maine’s Democratic Party can name a replacement candidate.
Rise and Fall of an Outsider
Platner’s campaign initially captured significant grassroots enthusiasm. His launch video was compelling, and he challenged incumbent Governor Janet Mills, who suspended her own campaign before the primary. Platner won the primary with over 70 percent of the vote. However, his personal history—including a swastika tattoo he got while drunk as a Marine, Reddit posts with edgelord content, and past allegations of mistreating women—raised concerns from the start.
Amanda Litman, co-founder and president of Run for Something, said, “It’s upsetting — as a person, but also as someone who works in politics. Because the people who believed in him will be disillusioned. I know people who were eager to move to Maine for the summer to volunteer for his campaign, who were inspired for the first time by him. What a fucking disappointment. What a betrayal of that hope.”
Red Flags and Vetting Challenges
Litman noted that Platner’s outsider status came with inherent risks. “It is absolutely true that when you are seeking people outside the normal traditional candidates, they are not going to be perfect. They will have histories. That does not mean you have to accept someone who has credibly raped a woman,” she said. She emphasized that candidates must own their mistakes and grow from them, not lie or hide things.
The earlier New York Times story in June detailed an ex-girlfriend’s allegations of verbal abuse, physical roughness, and being locked in a room—but not sexual assault. Many Democrats considered that insufficient to disqualify him, given the importance of flipping the Senate seat. Litman reflected, “There is no good outcome here. Which is the more morally right thing to do? Is it more moral to say, at that moment, people should have called for him to step down? Knowing that, more likely than not, whoever replaced him might lose.”
Voters vs. Elites
Platner’s popularity among primary voters complicated elite efforts to stop him. Litman argued, “I think one of the correct takeaways of 2024 is: We cannot try and impose the party’s will upon voters. The voters are the party. If they decide that they were okay [with what was known] — and not only okay, he won more than 70 percent of the vote — who are the ‘elites’ to say that they know better?”
She also criticized the Democratic establishment for clearing the field for Mills, calling it “clearly misreading the moment.” Looking ahead, Litman suggested that if Platner withdraws, the party should involve voters in selecting a replacement through a rapid convention or firehouse primary to ensure buy-in.
