BREAKING: Graham Platner considers dropping out of Maine Senate race amid new scandal: report

Democratic Maine Senate nominee Graham Platner is expected to drop out of the race this week, according to a report from Washington Reporter citing a "well-placed source." This comes as there have been multiple scandals alleging sexual misconduct. His departure would clear the way for incumbed Susan Collins to retain her seat.

Politico reported on Monday that a woman who dated Platner is claiming that he forced her to have sex with him nearly five years ago "despite her repeated objections."

The Politico report states: "The woman, a 41-year-old Maine resident named Jenny Racicot, detailed the alleged incident to POLITICO in three interviews over the past two weeks. POLITICO also spoke with a man Racicot dated and confided in the years after the alleged incident, and reviewed documents, including emails between Racicot and her therapist and messages between Racicot and an acquaintance whom she warned against getting involved with Platner years before he ran for office."

Racicot said she and Platner were involved in an on-and-off relationship for more than two years. She alleged that, one night in late 2021, Platner came to her rural Maine home uninvited while heavily intoxicated and sexually assaulted her despite her repeatedly telling him to stop. Racicot said she ended all communication with him afterward and told him the encounter had not been consensual.

“I remember him grabbing my pelvis and being really forceful of me,” she said. “I remember the specific moment where I thought to myself, like, ‘This is no longer my choice.’”

Platner denied the allegations.

“These allegations are troubling, serious, and false. Any accusation of non-consensual behavior is categorically untrue,” he said in a statement.

The report also noted that Platner has not yet released his second-quarter fundraising totals.

Platner abruptly postponed his weekend campaign events over the weekend and on Monday. A planned town hall in Augusta was called off Sunday after he reportedly missed a Fourth of July parade in Machias. On Monday, the Gorham Democrats announced another town hall had been postponed because Platner was "not feeling well," while a Sanford campaign event was removed from Mobilize. 

According to the Bangor Daily News, multiple Democrats said they expected a national news outlet to publish another story involving Platner early this week. The cancellations followed weeks of controversy surrounding the Democratic nominee, including allegations made by former girlfriends in a New York Times report. Platner denied ever being physically violent in a relationship.