Things were quite crazy in Democratic Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner’s camp in the hours leading up to his announcement that he was dropping out of the race.
The candidate announced on Wednesday that he was suspending his campaign after another woman accused him of raping her years ago. But this decision was not made lightly, according to a Politico report.
Graham Platner went down swinging — even as some of his political confidants urged him not to.
Several of the embattled Maine Democrat’s closest advisers pleaded with him Wednesday to strike a “conciliatory” tone in the announcement terminating his Senate campaign, according to two people close to Platner’s team with knowledge of the internal discussions. But the progressive bucked their advice and made it a condition of dropping out of the race that he get free rein to assail establishment Democrats and blame them for the ignominious end to his rapid political rise.
And so, shortly after 8 p.m. Wednesday — just two days after POLITICO reported that a woman accused him of sexually assaulting her in 2021 — the oysterman released a defiant, emotional social media video. He continued to deny the allegations against him. He blasted the “corporate media system and the political establishment” for acting as “judge, jury and executioner.” And he railed against Washington Democrats for ripping the rug out from under him.
“Those in power, who have the ability to do so, are using these allegations as an excuse to take away all of the things that we need to run a campaign,” Platner said. “They would rather see Susan Collins win than have me be the next senator from Maine.”
The behind-the-scenes details about the debate that unfolded inside Platner’s campaign before his Wednesday night announcement were confirmed by the two people on condition they be granted anonymity to discuss the sensitive matter.
My name might be on the ballot right now, but that ballot line belongs to the people of Maine. pic.twitter.com/RKVyLU76tm
— Graham Platner for Senate (@grahamformaine) July 9, 2026
Platner’s aides had a frantic debate on how they should message on the issue. At least one tried to persuade the candidate to express gratitude in his farewell message.
Instead, the candidate recorded an 11-minute farewell message that attacked the media, Democratic establishment, and his political opponents.
“I only have until July 13th until I am officially the nominee. This was the last week to try to get me off of the ballot,” he said. “And that's why this is occurring. It's not the false allegations, though. That have brought us to where we are. It's the fact that they're being used by the political establishment to put structural pressure on us.”
Before making the announcement, Platner pressured the state party to commit to replacing him with a candidate who shared his progressive populist stances, pointing out that it’s why he won the primary race. But the party “refused to engage” with the demands, according to Politico.
The report details how Platner met with his staff on a Zoom call and thanked them for their support and helping to build a “working-class movement.”
This all comes after Jenny Racicot, a 41-year-old Maine resident who had an on-and-off dating relationship with Platner for two years, accused him of showing up to her house while inebriated
Other women he dated in the past have also accused him of inappropriate behavior. Lyndsey Fifield accused him of repeatedly removing condoms without her consent during sex. She also said he physically abused her.
Platner made his announcement on Wednesday. Now, Democrats are expected to announce their replacement candidate before the deadline.
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