Politics Platner Senate campaign taking 'time to reflect' on path forward after sexual assault allegation

[TheProle]

Democratic Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner on Monday said he’s taking “time to reflect” on his campaign’s path forward after a woman accused him of sexually assaulting her in 2021.

Platner and his campaign denied the accusations made by 41-year-old Maine resident Jenny Racicot in a POLITICO article published Monday. Politico reported that she accused Platner of sexual assault. Platner is a Marine veteran and oysterman who rocketed to his party’s nomination this year on a populist, progressive message.

In a video posted to X minutes after the Politico story was published, Platner denied the reporting but said the campaign is “taking the time to reflect on the best path forward.”

https://www.cnbc.com/2026/07/06/graham-platner-maine-senate-allegation-response.html

[appmanga]

1. He's done...

...there's just too much that he's had to deny, and this is a bombshell. The one thing I know is once Platner leaves this race, whomever replaces him better be ready to go rough and dirty because Susan Collins isn't going quietly or meekly.

[Kaleva]

2. I suspect he'll drop out

[Orrex]

3. Too bad for him that he's not a Republican

This wouldn't have guaranteed his victory.

But FFS how did he get this far into the process without someone in the party finding out?

[BannonsLiver]

5. 100 percent and complete unity among their voters in suppprt of him.

I do sometimes envy the sick bastards now and then. Their only motivation is to win. That’s it. They’re like sharks in that sense.

[yardwork]

11. It's easy to be singleminded.

The GOP voters have only one focus: increase their own personal wealth.

It's simple. Straightforward. They don't have to worry about complicated things like helping other people, ensuring healthcare, science, global warming, etc.

[BannonsLiver]

16. It certainly is easy.

It’s also effective. They win frequently and definitely extract more political capital and power from those victories than we do. It’s not close, either.

And I’m not so sure I buy the absolutism. I think the more wealthy GOP voters are certainly in that camp. But the others, the slack jawed goobers who are low info and slightly impoverished, just hate what the opposition stands for so much it’s reflexive at this point. They also enjoy the cruelty. That’s been my experience interacting with those folks in my blood red state. Anyway, as far as the senate goes this fall we can forget about that now. Time to zero in on the House and getting those margins up.

[yardwork]

17. Let's not give up on the Senate yet.

There may yet be time.

I forgot to mention that a lot of Republicans are racist so it's easy to target them that way for propaganda. Just trigger their resentments and fears and they're hooked.

[2naSalit]

8. Seems to me...

That too many were willing to overlook this set of issues rather than investigate more carefully. That's what I saw from my little spot in the state.

[Blasphemer]

13. They were "concerned" and asked him to be straight with them about any more allegations...

His mealy-mouthed reply made this obvious but people buried their heads in the sand.

[BannonsLiver]

4. He's cooked. Six more years of Captain Concerned.

But hey maybe we’ll get lucky and she won’t be able to do the full six? She looks like hammered dog shit these days herself. 🤷‍♂️

[CrimsonBight]

9. If he drops out, Mills can still run.

I'm more than a little skeptical of her ability to defeat Collins, though.

[BannonsLiver]

12. Skeptical doesn't quite cover it.

1. Couldn’t raise money.
2. Dismal polling,
3. Couldn’t beat the weird rapey guy.

I suspect if she jumps back in Maine voters will look at the two 80 year old women running and just stick with Collins.

[CrimsonBight]

6. He's cooked.

[Emile]

14. I see you recently joined du to help Mills.

[pinkstarburst]

18. Give it a rest

You've been going after people for weeks for daring to suggest that this creep with a Nazi tattoo who was sexting with 6 women right after he was married had only himself to blame if voters found him distasteful and went with Collins, a 30 year incumbent.

Now it turns out (SURPRISE) that creeps who sext with 6 women shortly after getting married have a higher than average chance of being creeps who also sexually assault women, versus being good misunderstood guys.

So this would be the time to stop defending Graham Platner, is basically what I'm saying. He's a creep. And Mills should replace him on the ticket.

[themaguffin]

7. Maybe just maybe him having run (& won) a state office would have been helpful.

[2naSalit]

10. That's what...

I was saying before the primary.

I could go on a 'told you so' campaign but I'll just let people reflect on how they were all about this guy back then.

[themaguffin]

19. Yep, dude has so many red flags. This was completely predictable.

[Tom Rinaldo]

15. It might have been helpful if the Democratic Primary voters felt that way

but they knew he was a political newcomer and chose him anyway.

[Raftergirl]

20. He needs to go now. My creepy guy meter was at a 10 as soon as I heard/read about him.