Graham Platner Withdraws from Maine Senate Race After Assault Allegation; Won Primary by 70-Point Margin

Graham Platner submitted formal withdrawal paperwork to the Maine Secretary of State’s Office on July 10, 2026, ending his candidacy for the U.S. Senate. Platner had suspended his campaign on July 8 after former girlfriend Jenny Racicot accused him of entering her home without permission and raping her in 2021.

He posted a letter on X that stated Mainers voted for a new kind of politics and cited his primary support for Medicare for All, limits on billionaire influence in elections, and an end to taxpayer-funded wars. Platner won the Democratic primary in June 2026 with 156,084 votes and a margin exceeding 70 percentage points.

The Maine Democratic Party withdrew its support after the accusations surfaced.

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee stated it would not invest in the race if Platner remained the nominee. Rep. ) said on Sunday he regretted endorsing Platner. "I got that call wrong," Khanna told NBC News host Kristen Welker.

Khanna added that his line was always sexual assault or sexual violence and that he withdrew his endorsement as soon as the latest allegations were reported last week in Politico. Sen. ) also rescinded his endorsement and called on Platner to drop out.

Platner denied the allegations of sexual assault and physical roughness with former partners. He said he was unaware of the tattoo’s likeness to a Totenkopf and attributed controversial Reddit posts to his struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder following military deployments.

State party leaders have until July 27, 2026, to organize a nominating convention expected to include roughly 600 delegates.

M. on July 13, 2026.