Graham Platner Withdraws from Maine Senate Race

Graham Platner withdrew from the Maine Democratic Senate race on Friday after two former partners alleged sexual misconduct. He plans to formally remove his name from the ballot on Monday. Jennifer Racicot told Politico that Platner entered her home uninvited in 2021 and sexually assaulted her.

Lyndsey Fifield told The Washington Post that Platner repeatedly removed his condom during sex without her consent during their relationship from 2013 to 2015. Fifield also told The New York Times that Platner once twisted her arm, shoved her into a bedroom, and held the door closed. Platner won the Democratic primary for the seat last month.

A poll released in late October had shown him as the strongest Democrat positioned to challenge Republican incumbent Susan Collins. The Media Research Center reported that Apple News and Google News published no stories between November and May on earlier controversies involving Platner, including a Nazi tattoo and offensive Reddit posts.

The study said the platforms also did not promote at least 112 stories from conservative outlets that examined those issues during the same period.

MRC President David Bozell said the platforms buried scandals while Platner appeared competitive and ended the blackout once polls shifted. A Google spokesperson called the study claims false and said its methodology was flawed because it checked Google News only once a day from a single account rather than accounting for updates and personalization.

The New York Times published a report on May 30 about a sexting controversy involving Platner.