Live updates: Maine Democratic Party says Graham Platner will ‘have no role’ in picking a replacement if he withdraws
A crowd of over 6,000 stands up and cheers during Graham Platner speech at arally at the Cross Insurance Arena in September. (Brianna Soukup/Staff Photographer)`
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All eyes in Maine’s U.S. Senate race are on Graham Platner as the Democratic nominee faces a growing chorus of calls to end his candidacy and allow the party to replace him on the ballot after he was accused of sexual assault.
Platner, a political newcomer who cruised to victory in last month’s Democratic primary, denied the allegations leveled against him Monday by Maine resident Jenny Racicot. She told Politico that Platner entered her home uninvited while drunk in 2021 and sexually assaulted her; the Portland Press Herald has not independently verified Racicot’s allegations.
Related
Platner facing flood of calls to drop out of Maine Senate race after sexual assault allegations
Platner described Politico’s reporting as inaccurate but said in a video statement that he and his campaign are “taking the time to reflect on the best path forward.” Meanwhile, the Maine Democratic Party and many of his most high-profile supporters have withdrawn their endorsements and urged him to drop out — now including U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders.
Follow along for the latest in the Senate race.
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Updated 9:37 pm · July 7, 2026
[
Drew Johnson Staff Writer
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/drew-johnson/)
Maine Democratic Party criticizes Platner team for trying to influence process to replace him
The Maine Democratic Party says the campaign of Senate candidate Graham Platner has attempted “to put their thumb on the scale” in picking someone to replace him in the race against Sen. Susan Collins, should he withdraw from the race.
Update from Maine Democratic Party Executive Director Devon Murphy-Anderson on the Maine Senate race. pic.twitter.com/Jzj9ofinU8
— Maine Democrats (@MaineDems) July 8, 2026
“We’ve repeatedly reiterated to Graham Platner’s team that they have no role in determining our next Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate, nor in determining what this process looks like,” Devon Murphy-Anderson, executive director of the Maine Democratic Party, said in a statement. “We have also reiterated that Graham Platner must drop out of this race so that Democrats in Maine can focus on defeating Susan Collins this November.”
“We look forward to making this process public as soon as Graham Platner formally withdraws from this race.”
Read more
Updated 6:19 pm · July 7, 2026
Platner adviser denies New York Post report
Morris Katz, a political adviser for Platner, denied a report from the New York Post that Katz is recommending that his candidate stay in the race.
The Post cited an anonymous source in its report.
“To be very clear, no one in campaign deliberations or familiar with my thinking is talking to the (New York Post),” Katz posted to X.
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Updated 5:35 pm · July 7, 2026
[
Randy Billings Staff Writer
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/randy-billings/)
Democrats plot process for replacing Platner
Maine Democrats are currently making plans to replace Graham Platner as the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate.
Platner has until Monday to inform the Secretary of State’s office that he’s dropping out, a move that would allow the party to replace him. But state law and the party’s charter are vague about the process, and seem to give the party broad discretion in choosing a replacement.
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Updated 5:30 pm · July 7, 2026
Washington Post: Ex-girlfriend of Platner says he removed condoms without consent during sex
A second woman has accused Platner of nonconsensual sexual conduct, The Washington Post reported in a story posted Tuesday night. Lyndsey Fifield told The Post that Platner repeatedly removed condoms during sex without her knowledge or consent while they were in a relationship from 2013 to 2015.
Platner’s campaign denied the allegation, calling it “categorically false and politically motivated.” The accusation came a day after another former girlfriend, Jenny Racicot, accused Platner of raping her in 2021 — an allegation he has also denied but has led to an avalanche of calls for Platner to drop out of the race.
Fifield, who previously accused Platner of physical abuse in an interview with The New York Times, said she decided to publicly discuss the alleged condom removal to support Racicot and encourage other women to come forward.
Read more
Updated 5:19 pm · July 7, 2026
Paige Loud files as candidate for Senate race
Former 2nd District candidate Paige Loud moved Tuesday to officially join those who are vying to potentially replace Graham Platner as the Democratic candidate for Senate.
Paige Loud answers a question during a CD-2 Democratic primary debate hosted by Maine Public and the Portland Press Herald in Lewiston on Thursday, May 28, 2026. (Brianna Soukup/Staff Photographer)
Loud, a 29-year-old social worker with no previous political experience, finished a distant fourth in the Democrats’ primary race for the U.S. House seat. Matt Dunlap, the former secretary from Old Town, won that race and is set to face off against Paul LePage, the former Republican Maine governor, to represent the state’s 2nd Congressional District.
Loud filed a statement of candidacy with the Federal Election Commission on Tuesday.
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Updated 4:50 pm · July 7, 2026
[
Ethan Wolin Staff Writer
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/ethan-wolin/)
With opponent’s candidacy spiraling, Collins campaign stays true to form
As support for Graham Platner collapsed, Sen. Susan Collins’ reelection campaign on Tuesday afternoon posted online a video montage of her visit to Machias on Independence Day. In the video, featuring upbeat background music, she shakes hands with constituents and poses for photos.
“I was reminded once again of the warmth, kindness, and strong sense of community that make Maine so special,” reads a caption accompanying the post from her campaign Instagram account.
The sunny post came in a stark contrast with Democrats’ scrambling as Platner remained silent Tuesday whether he would continue his campaign. While Collins has criticized Platner for the successive troubling revelations about his past, she has left the harshest attacks to her well-resourced backers and focused more on projecting stability and touting her sway in sending federal dollars to Maine.
Collins previously called the rape allegation against Platner, which he denies, “appalling,” but added in her statement that “it is not up to me to choose the Democratic nominee for Senate.”
The Senate is not currently in session, allowing Collins time to campaign in Maine for a sixth term. A spokesperson for her campaign had no comment Tuesday afternoon on Collins’ plans for the week. The Senate is scheduled to reconvene next week on Monday, which is also the statutory deadline for Platner to drop out of the race and allow Maine Democrats to pick a new Senate nominee.
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Updated 4:36 pm · July 7, 2026
[
Billy Kobin Staff Writer
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/billy-kobin/)
Women-led PAC: Platner ‘deserves due process … but these allegations are credible’
March on PAC, a women-led political group that formed out of the 2017 Women’s March following President Donald Trump’s first inauguration, said Tuesday it was “proud to stand behind Graham Platner in the first place” but now is joining others in calling on him to step down.
“His campaign spoke to working people who have been ignored for too long, and we stood with him because that fight matters,” March On PAC Executive Director Andi Pringle said. “But our belief in a better world does not bend for politics. Not now, not ever. Graham Platner deserves due process, like anyone else. We will not decide his guilt. But these allegations are credible, and credible allegations cannot become a distraction from the fight in front of us: beating Susan Collins. That is disqualifying on its own.”
Pringle added that Maine voters “will decide what comes next, and we trust them to do it with the seriousness this moment demands.”
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Updated 4:27 pm · July 7, 2026
[
Dylan Tusinski Staff Writer
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/dylan-tusinski/)
Maine Democratic voters react to Platner rape allegations
The last 24 hours have created an extraordinary situation for Maine Democratic Party officials and voters alike. Platner’s supporters are reeling from the revelations as they try to square their support for the man and his ideas with the acts and behaviors he stands accused of.
Updated 2:46 pm · July 7, 2026
[
Randy Billings Staff Writer
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/randy-billings/)
Jared Golden breaks silence on Platner
U.S. Rep. Jared Golden on Tuesday broke his silence on Maine’s U.S. Senate race, saying a Maine woman’s accusation that she was sexually assaulted by Graham Platner “speaks for itself.”
Unlike other prominent Democrats and activist groups, Golden did not explicitly call for Platner to drop out of the race after Politico detailed Jenny Racicot’s accusations of a 2021 sexual assault.
“I have to this point stayed quiet about this year’s elections in my state, in deference to Mainers who I trust to make decisions about who they want to represent them,” Golden said in a written statement. “In the aftermath of (Monday’s) story about Graham Platner, I think Ms. Racicot’s testimony speaks for itself.”
Rep. Jared Golden listens to a question from the media on Nov. 6, 2024 (Russ Dillingham/Staff Photographer) Purchase this image
Platner has denied Racicot’s allegations. And he has attributed his other past troubling behavior to his struggles with alcohol, post-traumatic stress disorder and depression from serving four combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Golden, who is also a combat veteran, did not address questions about whether he would be interested in becoming the replacement nominee to take on Republican U.S. Sen. Susan Collins if Platner drops out.
It would be surprising if Golden, D-2nd District, was interested. He announced last fall that he wasn’t running for a fifth term because of political polarization and an increase in political violence and threats.
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Updated 2:40 pm · July 7, 2026
[
Ethan Horton Staff Writer
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/ethan-horton/)
Platner, conservative PAC pulling advertisements
Graham Platner’s campaign has halted its advertising on Facebook and Instagram, Meta’s ad tracker shows.
Platner’s campaign was running about two dozen ads on the social media sites as recently as Monday evening, according to the tracker, but none of them remained active after Platner said he was “taking the time to reflect on the best path forward.”
Platner’s campaign also only has about $8,000 in cable advertising booked for this week, and none in the weeks following, according to AdImpact.
AdImpact also said Pine Tree Results PAC, a conservative group that has spent millions on anti-Platner TV advertising, has removed its planned broadcast reservations over the next week. The ad tracker said the PAC has removed $1.5 million in advertising so far through July 15.
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Updated 2:11 pm · July 7, 2026
[
Billy Kobin Staff Writer
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/billy-kobin/)
Troy Jackson files to explore Senate run
Former Maine Senate President Troy Jackson moved Tuesday to form a exploratory committee that would position him to potentially replace Graham Platner as the Democratic candidate for Senate on the November ballot.
Troy Jackson points during a February debate in Auburn in the Maine governor’s race. (Russ Dillingham/Staff Photographer) Purchase this image
Tuesday’s filing with the Federal Election Commission listed the formation of a “Troy Jackson Senate Exploratory Committee” and is designated to allow the Allagash Democrat to begin raising money without formally declaring his candidacy.
Read the full story here.
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Updated 2:10 pm · July 7, 2026
[
Ethan Wolin Staff Writer
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/ethan-wolin/)
No answer at Platner’s Portland campaign office
PORTLAND — Graham Platner’s campaign office in Portland, on the edge of the Back Cove neighborhood just off the peninsula, appeared to be unoccupied Tuesday.
The campaign rents part of a unit in a warehouse-like building that also includes a coffee shop and a distillery. The doors to the campaign’s space were locked, and no one answered when a reporter knocked early Tuesday afternoon.
Updated 1:07 pm · July 7, 2026
[
Randy Billings Staff Writer
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/randy-billings/)
Who could replace Platner? Here are the names being floated.
As calls grow for Graham Platner to drop out of the Maine Senate race, some are already lining up to replace him on the ballot. Others are being discussed in Maine Democratic circles but have yet to publicly say whether they’d be interested.
The list includes three of the unsuccessful Maine Democratic candidates and several other prominent state Democrats. Read the full story here.
Updated 12:54 pm · July 7, 2026
[
Ethan Horton Staff Writer
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/ethan-horton/)
Bernie Sanders says Platner should ‘step aside’
Bernie Sanders, the independent senator from Vermont, said in a post on X that he has spoken with Graham Platner and “recommended that he step aside.”
U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, left, joins hands with Graham Platner at an event in Orono on May 24. Sanders says Platner should withdraw from the Senate race in light of the sexual assault allegation that surfaced Monday. (Robert F. Bukaty/Associated Press)
Sanders, the progressive kingmaker, was one of Platner’s first major endorsements last summer. He has campaigned with Platner in Maine and had stood by the embattled nominee amid other scandals.
Sanders’ statement Tuesday afternoon was his first public comment on the newest allegations against Platner since Politico reported Monday that an ex-girlfriend accused him of sexual assault.
I have spoken with Graham Platner about the best path forward for Maine. In light of these very serious allegations, I have recommended that he step aside.
— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) July 7, 2026
Sanders joined a growing list of prominent progressives and Democrats who have withdrawn their endorsements or called on Platner to end his campaign.
Read more
Updated 12:18 pm · July 7, 2026
Senate candidate David Costello says he’s ‘back in’ if Platner withdraws
David Costello, the Brunswick Democrat who finished third in Maine’s Democratic Senate primary last month, said Tuesday morning that he is “back in, if Graham Platner withdraws.”
In a brief statement posted to social media, he pointed interested parties to his campaign website and past social posts.
Costello and Platner share similar policy views, including support for Medicare for All, universal childcare, increasing taxes on the ultra-wealthy and restoring full sovereignty for tribes in Maine. And both have advocated for reforming the federal government to make it more responsive to people’s needs.
But Costello’s campaign never achieved the same feverish support that Platner’s did. He trailed significantly in both fundraising and opinion polling throughout the primary. Some opinion polls did not even include him, while others that did had his support in the single digits.
Costello eventually received about 8% of first-choice votes in the June primary, behind both Platner and Gov. Janet Mills, who had already suspended her campaign by the time the election arrived.
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Updated 12:05 pm · July 7, 2026
Stephen King: ‘If he committed rape,’ then Platner ‘should bow out’ of race
Renowned Maine author and outspoken liberal Stephen King on Tuesday posted that his earlier remarks that he hoped Graham Platner would not drop out of the Senate race were not a defense of the candidate.
Not defending Grah, Platner. If he committed rape, he should bow out. Just making a comparison.
— Stephen King (@StephenKing) July 7, 2026
King clarified that he thinks Platner “should bow out” if he committed rape. (Jenny Racicot, a Maine Democrat, told Politico in an article posted Monday that Platner forced her to have sex with him in 2021.)
“Not defending Grah, Platner. If he committed rape, he should bow out. Just making a comparison,” King wrote on X late Tuesday morning. He subsequently posted simply “Graham” after the misspelling in his first post.
King posted Monday that “Graham Platner may drop out. (I hope he doesn’t, but.) Meanwhile, the Abuser in Chief just keeps on keepin’ on,” apparently referring to President Donald Trump.
In a subsequent post Monday, King had written: “Tell you what–if you knew the whole truth about everyone in the Senate and House of Reps, those chambers would be dead empty. Jesus said, ‘Let him without sin cast the first stone.’”
Read more
Updated 11:27 am · July 7, 2026
Nirav Shah says he is fielding calls from Mainers about replacing Platner
Nirav Shah, the runner-up in Maine’s Democratic gubernatorial primary, said in a statement Tuesday that he and his team have “received hundreds of encouraging messages” as calls for Graham Platner to withdraw grow.
“Right now, our number one priority must be defeating Senator Susan Collins,” Shah wrote in a lengthy statement posted Tuesday morning. “I have been having conversations with my wife, my team, and Mainers across the state about what comes next and evaluating whether I should enter the Senate race.”
— Nirav D. Shah (@nirav_maine) July 7, 2026
Shah added that any discussions about replacing Platner on the ballot should be “transparent and open” and that anyone seeking the nomination should agree to participate in a televised debate and host multiple public town halls.
The decision over whether to replace Platner falls to the Maine Democratic Party’s leaders, but only if Platner chooses to withdraw within the next several days.
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Updated 11:23 am · July 7, 2026
Sierra Club withdraws support of Platner
The Sierra Club, a major grassroots environmental organization, on Tuesday withdrew its endorsement of Graham Platner and called on him to drop out.
“The Sierra Club’s thoughts are with Jenny Racicot for courageously sharing her story. Victims of sexual violence must be listened to and provided our caring and support. Their lives are not for political gamesmanship,” Sierra Club Political Director Sarah Burton said in a written statement.
“Upholding basic standards of integrity, decency, and ethics is not a qualification to win the American electorate’s trust; it is a requirement. In light of (Monday’s) horrific and disturbing allegations, the Sierra Club has rescinded its endorsement of Graham Platner and calls on him to withdraw his candidacy.”
Read more
Updated 11:16 am · July 7, 2026
Former VP candidate Walz says Platner should drop out
Tim Walz, the Minnesota governor and 2024 running mate for Kamala Harris, joined the growing wave of Democrats calling for Graham Platner to drop out.
In a post on X on Monday night, Walz called the sexual assault allegation against Platner “deeply disturbing.”
The allegations of sexual assault against Graham Platner are deeply disturbing. He should drop out and make way for a candidate that can defeat Susan Collins in November.
— Tim Walz (@Tim_Walz) July 7, 2026
“He should drop out and make way for a candidate that can defeat Susan Collins in November,” Walz added.
Walz had previously endorsed Platner and spoken in support of his candidacy at the Maine Democratic State Convention this spring.
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Updated 11:01 am · July 7, 2026
Mamdani: ‘Time for him to drop out of the race’
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a prominent progressive and graduate of Bowdoin College, said Tuesday that Graham Platner should drop out of the Senate race.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani (@NYCMayor) says Senate Candidate Graham Platner (D-ME) should drop out of the race: "I think that the only appropriate response is for the campaign to come to an end." pic.twitter.com/1kb4ofuSpQ
— CSPAN (@cspan) July 7, 2026
“I believe that it’s time for him to drop out of the race,” Mamdani said of Platner during a news conference Tuesday, later adding: “I think that the focus of today should be to respond to the gravity of what so many of us have read, and I think that the only appropriate response is for the campaign to end.”
The mayor, who graduated from Bowdoin in 2014, had not endorsed Platner and noted that he has focused on supporting candidates in the New York area instead of wading into national politics.
Read more
Updated 10:58 am · July 7, 2026
Rashida Tlaib latest prominent Democrat to rescind endorsement
U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, a prominent Michigan progressive, said Tuesday morning on X that she is withdrawing her endorsement of Graham Platner, calling the allegations against him “devastating.”
I am withdrawing my endorsement of Graham Platner and calling on him to exit the race immediately so that he can be replaced by a progressive fighter who will deliver for the people and help win back the Senate. These allegations are devastating and must be taken seriously.
— Rashida Tlaib (@RashidaTlaib) July 7, 2026
Tlaib, a member of “The Squad” of left-wing Democratic House members, said Platner should be “replaced by a progressive fighter who will deliver for the people and help win back the Senate.”
Read more
Updated 10:49 am · July 7, 2026
Progressive group founded by Sanders says Platner should drop out
Our Revolution, a progressive organization founded by independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, said Graham Platner should withdraw because the allegations “are too serious to treat as a distraction from the campaign or the issues,” the Associated Press reported.
Sanders, a prominent early supporter of Platner’s candidacy, has not yet spoken publicly about the latest allegations against him; he did not respond to a request for comment from the Press Herald on Monday about whether he continues to support him.
Our Revolution also hinted at the potential battle over who would replace Platner if he drops out, the AP reports.
“Whoever leads this movement forward must be someone who has actually lived the fight Graham Platner ran on: a record with working people, with unions, against corporate money, already tested and trusted by the same base that delivered this result,” said a statement from Joseph Geevarghese, executive director of Our Revolution.
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Updated 10:37 am · July 7, 2026
[
Randy Billings Staff Writer
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/randy-billings/)
Key Democratic funders have ended support of Platner
Even if Graham Platner chooses to remain in the Senate race, his path to victory against Susan Collins could be stifled by a lack of financial support from key Democratic apparatuses that have now withdrawn their support.
“Senate Majority PAC is redirecting resources away from the Maine Senate race in light of the latest allegations against Graham Platner,” spokesperson Lauren French said in a statement Monday. “We continue to believe this seat is winnable if Platner is not on the ballot, but we cannot strategically continue to invest here when there is an expansive battleground map where these resources can help win a Democratic majority.”
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Chair Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand said in a statement that Democrats won’t be able defeat Collins if Platner remains on the ballot.
“Graham Platner needs to immediately withdraw as the Democratic nominee for Senate and allow Maine Democrats the opportunity to choose a new candidate,” the senators from New York said.
Democrats need to flip four seats to win back control of the Senate, and Maine’s seat is considered the best of their best pickup opportunities.
End Citizens United and the Planned Parenthood Action Fund also rescinded their support of Platner on Monday in the wake of the new allegations.
Read more
Updated 9:54 am · July 7, 2026
[
Ethan Horton Staff Writer
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/ethan-horton/)
‘Draft Troy’ website launched to encourage former Maine Senate president to run
Supporters of former Maine Senate President Troy Jackson have launched a website calling on the third-place Democratic gubernatorial candidate to run for U.S. Senate in place of under-fire nominee Graham Platner.
A cardboard addition of “Troy Jackson” is seen Tuesday taped over a Graham Platner for Senate sign in Hallowell. (Joe Phelan/Staff Photographer) Purchase this image
The website, drafttroy.com, urges Jackson, a progressive from Allagash, to step into the race in Platner’s stead. The website calls him a “champion of working people” and includes a petition to “draft” Jackson. Jackson previously endorsed Platner but rescinded his support and called on him to withdraw from the race Monday evening.
The effort appears to be backed by Ben McCollister of Frame Strategies, a Portland-based media firm that developed advertising for Jackson’s run for governor. McCollister, who also served as Jackson’s chief of staff in the Maine Senate for three years, posted about the new website on X, saying: “Jackson has won in districts Democrats are told to write off. Rural, red, tough. He won them anyway, again and again, then rose to lead the Maine Senate. You don’t beat Susan Collins with potential. You beat her with proof.”
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Updated 9:19 am · July 7, 2026
[
Billy Kobin Staff Writer
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/billy-kobin/)
Maine Democrat: There are ‘at least 100’ other candidates better than Platner
A Maine lawmaker who previously supported Graham Platner and represents a key swing city did not mention Platner by name in saying Monday that he was “ashamed I’ve been quiet this long.”
“There are at least 100 Maine Democrats with substantially more policy making experience and moral rectitude than our current nominee for the U.S. Senate,” said state Rep. Adam Lee, D-Auburn. “We’ve spent 10 years watching Republicans bend themselves into a pretzel to justify their support for a charismatic yet morally bankrupt person who has been credibly accused of sexual assault. I refuse to do that.”
Updated 9:14 am · July 7, 2026
Republican Senate committee leader releases statement
U.S. Sen. Tim Scott, a South Carolina Republican and chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, released the following statement Tuesday morning on the Maine Senate race:
“The Democrat candidate in Maine will either be an alleged rapist with a Nazi tattoo, or someone he selects with the same ‘values and vision,’” Scott said.
Scott’s statement was an apparent reference to remarks from a person familiar with the campaign’s internal discussions who spoke to the New York Times on Monday evening. That person said Platner, as he weighs whether to drop out, was seeking a guarantee that party officials would replace him with someone who shares “the values and vision and policy agenda” for which he had advocated, the Times reported.
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Updated 9:04 am · July 7, 2026
Stephen King says he hopes Platner stays in the race
Stephen King, the prominent Maine author and outspoken Democrat, said in an X post Monday evening that he doesn’t want Graham Platner to drop out of the Senate race.
Graham Platner may drop out. (I hope he doesn't, but.) Meanwhile, the Abuser in Chief just keeps on keepin' on.
— Stephen King (@StephenKing) July 6, 2026
“Graham Platner may drop out. (I hope he doesn’t, but.) Meanwhile, the Abuser in Chief just keeps on keepin’ on,” King wrote, apparently referring to President Donald Trump.
King’s post contrasted with the growing calls from national and Maine Democrats who say the latest allegation against Platner should prompt him to end his campaign.
In a subsequent post, King wrote: “Tell you what–if you knew the whole truth about everyone in the Senate and House of Reps, those chambers would be dead empty. Jesus said, ‘Let him without sin cast the first stone.'”
Read more
Updated 8:47 am · July 7, 2026
Susan Collins calls allegations ‘appalling’
Graham Platner’s Republican opponent, incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins, said in a statement to media outlets that the allegations against Platner are “appalling.”
“Nevertheless,” she added, “it is not up to me to choose the Democratic nominee for Senate.”
Updated 8:35 am · July 7, 2026
Punchbowl News: Party leaders believe Platner will drop out as soon as Tuesday
Democratic Party leaders believe Graham Platner will drop out of the Senate race as soon as Tuesday, possibly even Tuesday morning, Punchbowl News reports.
The D.C-based news site said former Maine Senate President Troy Jackson, former Maine CDC head Nirav Shah, Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows and former congressional candidate Jordan Wood are all being weighed as potential options to replace Platner on the ballot.
Gov. Janet Mills, who dropped out of the Senate race this spring as she trailed Platner significantly in fundraising and opinion polling, is “extremely unlikely” to be the nominee, Punchbowl News reported.
Read more
Updated 8:07 am · July 7, 2026
[
Randy Billings Staff Writer
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/randy-billings/)
Warren, Khanna and Jackson withdraw endorsements
High-profile supporters of Graham Platner have withdrawn their endorsements.
That included one of his most steadfast supporters, former Maine Senate President Troy Jackson, who finished third in last month’s gubernatorial primary and is already been floated in some circles as a possible replacement for Platner as the Senate nominee.
“There is no place in our politics for sexual violence. Not in our party, not in any party. Graham Platner must withdraw from this race today,” Jackson said in a statement released Monday by a spokesperson.
U.S. Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif. — who had campaigned with Platner and defended him after previous reports of alleged mistreatment of women — also called on Platner to drop out and suggested Jackson could be the right candidate to replace him on the ballot.
“I’ve been very clear that sexual assault or violence against women is a red line,” Khanna said on X. “These allegations are very serious and credible. Graham Platner should drop out from the race. I am withdrawing my endorsement.”
U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a Massachusetts Democrat and progressive stalwart, told the digital news website Semafor that she, too, had seen enough.
“Now more than ever we need leaders in Washington who reflect our values. There can be no tolerance for sexual assault,” Warren told Semafor. “Working families are counting on Democrats to win the Senate election in Maine to unrig our economy and hold Donald Trump accountable. With so much at stake, the best path forward is for Graham Platner to step aside as the Democratic nominee and address these serious allegations outside this Senate race.”
Other prominent Democrats calling for Platner to withdraw include Hannah Pingree, the Democratic nominee for governor; Mattie Daughtry, the Maine Senate president; and Ryan Fecteau, the state House speakre.
One prominent supporter of Platner who has not yet spoken about Monday’s allegations is U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, the progressive independent from Vermont who was an early and vocal backer of Platner. He did not respond to a request for comment Monday on Politico’s story and on whether he continues to support him.
Read more
Updated 7:45 am · July 7, 2026
[
Ethan Wolin Staff Writer
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/ethan-wolin/)[
Randy Billings Staff Writer
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/randy-billings/)
What are Maine Dems’ options if Platner drops out?
Only Graham Platner can decide to give up his place as the Democratic nominee for Senate in an election considered crucial for Democrats’ aspirations to retake the chamber from Republicans.
If he drops out before 5 p.m. on July 13, the Maine Democratic Party would then have two weeks to decide who would replace him.
It’s not clear exactly what that process would look like.
David Farmer, a Democratic strategist, said the party seems to have broad discretion in how it would choose a replacement candidate, based on his reading of Maine law and the party’s charter.
Farmer said he would expect the party to include as many voices as possible in the process of selecting a replacement candidate.
“I just can’t imagine a process that’s exclusionary,” Farmer said. “I think you need an open process if this were to happen so that everyone feels like they got an opportunity to weigh in.”
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Updated 7:38 am · July 7, 2026
[
Randy Billings Staff Writer
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/randy-billings/)
Platner town halls scheduled for Monday were postponed
Two town hall events with Graham Platner were postponed Monday, hours before the publication of a Politico story in which a Maine woman accused the Senate candidate of sexually assaulting her in 2021.
Platner had been scheduled to hold the town halls in Gorham and Sanford on Monday evening.
Democrats in Gorham initially said on social media that Platner wasn’t feeling well; that post appeared to have been deleted as of Tuesday morning.
The Sanford-Springvale Democrats posted a message that said the town hall had been canceled and “may be rescheduled if he stays in the race, but that is looking less likely now that Maine Dems are calling for him to withdraw.”
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Tagged: election 2026, Graham Platner, Nirav Shah, Sen. Susan Collins, senate 2026, Shenna Bellows, Troy Jackson
