Democrat Graham Platner is waiting until the last minute to formally withdraw from the U.S. Senate race in Maine, sources told Axios and Bloomberg on Thursday. Platner, who has been squabbling with state party leadership over controlling the next steps in the race, reportedly told his staff he will wait to suspend his campaign until Monday — the last day that he can withdraw under Maine law.
Platner Confirms Plans to File Withdrawal Papers on Monday
“On Monday .. I intend to file the requisite paperwork with the Secretary of State to remove my name from the ballot,” Platner said on a call with his team Wednesday night, a person on the call told Axios. A campaign strategist for Platner confirmed he plans to file his resignation papers on Monday. The Maine Secretary of State’s office confirmed to USA Today that it had not received an official withdrawal notice from Platner as of Thursday morning.
Allegations and Suspension Announcement
Platner announced Wednesday he was suspending his campaign following a report by Politico alleging he had sexually assaulted his ex-girlfriend, entering her rural Maine home without permission and forcing himself on her. Platner has maintained that the allegations are false, saying in a lengthy video Wednesday that the accusations nonetheless provided “an excuse to take away all of the things that we need to run a campaign.”
“This is incredibly difficult, because I know that some will think it’s an admission of guilt, and it most certainly is not,” he said. “We’re not doing it because of the allegations; we’re doing it because of the structures that are being taken away from us by those in power.”
Maine Democratic Party Moves to Replace Platner
Shortly before Platner’s announcement, the Maine Democratic Party said it would host a convention to replace him. The party now has until July 27 to pick a new Senate candidate. Several individuals have already announced their campaigns to replace Platner, including Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows and former state Sen. Troy Jackson.
Campaign Strategist Responds to Reports
Platner campaign strategist Morris Katz pushed back on a New York Post report that he had encouraged Platner to stay in the race despite the new sexual assault allegations. “As soon as the team became aware of the rape allegations against Graham Platner we advised he suspend his candidacy, and in the following days worked to wind down the campaign,” Katz wrote Thursday on X. “Like so many of his supporters, I’m deeply disappointed.”
Party Leadership Disputes Platner’s Team’s Role
The Maine Democratic Party’s executive director, Devon Murphy-Anderson, said Platner’s team made several attempts to “put their thumb on the scale” in choosing the next Democratic nominee. “We have repeatedly reiterated to Graham Platner’s team that they have no role in determining our U.S. Senate nominee, nor in determining what this process looks like,” she said in a video posted on social media Wednesday. Platner’s campaign did not immediately respond to HuffPost’s request for comment.
Race Against Incumbent Susan Collins
Platner’s successor will face incumbent Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) in a battle that Democrats see as essential in winning control of the Senate.
