Topline
Maine Democratic Senate nominee Graham Platner said he’s reassessing the future of his campaign after a woman who said she used to date Platner accused him of sexual assault in a Politico article on Monday, allegations he denied.
Key Facts
Calling the allegation “troubling, serious and false,” in a video statement posted to X shortly after it was made public, Platner said his campaign is “mindful of the political reality it will inflict, we are taking the time to reflect on the best path forward.”
The woman, 41-year-old Maine resident Jenny Racicot, who dated Platner on-and-off about five years ago, told Politico he came to her home drunk and uninvited one night in 2021 and forced himself on her while she was on a couch.
Racicot said she repeatedly told Platner to stop and remembers “him grabbing my pelvis and being really forceful of me,” adding, “I remember the specific moment where I thought to myself, like, ‘This is no longer my choice.’”
She said Platner then followed her into her bedroom and had sex with her against her will, according to Politico.
Racicot shared messages with Politico between herself and her therapist discussing the incident, and a Facebook exchange with an acquaintance in 2023 who she warned about Platner, calling him “consensually careless” and saying he “doesn’t listen to you when drunk.”
She also reportedly told a man she dated after Platner about the alleged assault in 2023, and the man, who asked to remain anonymous, corroborated her story to Politico.
What To Watch For
Maine Democrats can replace Platner on the ballot if he drops out before July 13. The party must select his replacement by July 27. The nominee will face Republican Sen. Susan Collins in the general election. The race was expected to be highly competitive and one of Democrats’ best chances to flip a seat. It is the only state won by Kamala Harris in the most recent election held by a Republican senator. Platner ran uncontested in the Maine Democratic primary last month after Democrat Gov. Janet Mills effectively ended her campaign in April. A first-time candidate, U.S. military veteran and oyster farmer, Platner billed himself as the working class candidate and denounced billionaires, gaining the support of prominent progressives, including Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif.
Key Background
Earlier Monday, multiple outlets reported Platner cancelled three events scheduled for Sunday and Monday, with some citing unnamed sources who said he was anticipating another negative story. Platner has faced multiple allegations of reckless and drunken behavior and disturbing behavior toward women since launching his campaign in August. Several women who had relationships with Platner described unsettling and volatile interactions with him in an article published in The New York Times last month. One of the women, Lyndsy Fifield, said Platner was physically rough with her at times while drinking, allegations he denied. She also said he knew the tattoo on his chest, which he has since covered, was a Nazi symbol, despite publicly denying knowing its meaning. Fifield’s allegations were widely questioned since she has worked for conservative groups and Republican politicians. Racicot, a Democrat, also described to The Times an “unsettling” and “reckless” experience with Platner when he came to her house drunk in 2021, but declined to elaborate. She told Politico she didn’t come forward to The Times because she agrees with Platner’s politics, and said she decided to do so after the Times story published, because Fifield’s allegations dominated the storyline and were discredited by some over her Republican ties. Platner’s wife, Amy Gertner, who he married in 2023, also caught him sending sexually explicit messages to multiple other women last year—revelations first made public in May in the Wall Street Journal and confirmed publicly by Gertner, who said the couple had repaired their marriage.
further reading
Graham Platner Wins Primary As Controversy Over Troubled Behavior Swirls (Forbes)
Trump Calls Graham Platner A ‘Thug’ After He Wins Maine Senate Primary (Forbes)
Bernie Sanders Backs Graham Platner After Allegations Of ‘Toxic’ Relationship (Forbes)