Murray, Cantwell call on Graham Platner to drop out of Maine Senate race
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Sens. Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell joined the chorus of lawmakers demanding that Maine Democratic Senate nominee Graham Platner step aside following a newly public allegation that he sexually assaulted a woman he formerly dated.
Graham Platner should step aside," Cantwell, D-Wash., said on social media Monday after Politico reported the accusation against Platner. "His behavior is unacceptable."
Murray, D-Wash., echoed that call Tuesday in a statement to The Seattle Times, saying Platner should drop out immediately to "give Maine Democrats the opportunity to put forward a candidate that can help Democrats win back the Senate."
Platner, who denies the allegation, has not resigned. In a video on Monday, the oyster farmer said he was "taking the time to reflect on the best path forward."
Platner had risen as a progressive hero among many on the left after winning the Maine Democratic Senate primary following Gov. Janet Mills' withdrawal from the race, teeing up a faceoff against longtime Republican Sen. Susan Collins. Mills was backed by establishment Democrats, including Sen. Chuck Schumer, of New York.
The allegation has plunged Democrats into crisis just months before the November election, threatening a high-profile Senate pickup opportunity and forcing party leaders scrambling to determine next steps. As pressure mounted Tuesday, some of Planter's most prominent allies abandoned him.
Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Platner's most influential supporter, on Tuesday said that he recommended Platner step aside. Scores of Democrats, including Sens. Elizabeth Warren, of Massachusetts, and Ruben Gallego, of Arizona, and political groups have pulled their endorsements, while the Maine Democratic Party demanded he drop out of the race.
The New York Times in June first reported details about Platner's past romantic relationships with women. In that story, Lyndsey Fifield, 40, who has worked for conservative groups and Republican campaigns and dated Platner for roughly two years, described what she said was aggressive treatment by Platner. She told The Times that he once twisted her arm, shoved her into a bedroom and held the door closed so she couldn't leave. In that same story, Jenny Racicot, 41, who said she dated Platner from 2019 and 2021, said he arrived at her house drunk one night in 2021 after she had asked him not to come over.
In a Politico story published Monday, Racicot said that Platner sexually assaulted her that night in 2021. She told Politico that she did not come forward earlier because she struggled with the decision, given her support for his politics.
Platner has denied all of the accusations. "Any accusation of nonconsensual behavior is categorically false," he said on social media.
Murray emphasized the need for Democrats to defeat Collins. "Winning a Democratic majority in the Senate is absolutely essential to put a serious check on Trump's corruption and rampant abuse of power, she said.
If Platner steps down by July 13, the party has until July 27 to nominate a replacement - a battle that is likely to widen Democratic rifts ahead of the November midterm election, as some have already called for a candidate with populist policies akin to Platner's.
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