Maine Democrat Senate candidate Graham Platner said Monday he is reconsidering the future of his campaign after a woman who previously dated him accused him of sexual assault.
Platner released a video statement shortly after Politico published a report in which his former girlfriend, Jenny Racicot, alleged that he forced her to have sex while he was intoxicated in 2021. Platner denied the allegation but acknowledged the political fallout could affect his bid to unseat Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME).
“So, regardless of the inaccuracy of the reporting, but mindful of the political reality it will inflict, we are taking the time to reflect on the best path forward for the state that I love, the people that I love, the movement I belong to, and the goal of defeating Susan Collins,” Platner said. “Those were the goals when we launched this campaign, and they remain my goals today.”
Platner said the campaign had built what he described as the largest volunteer network in Maine’s political history and said supporters remained united behind the effort to defeat Collins.
“Throughout it all, you never turned your back on me, and I will not turn my back on you now,” Platner said. “Every one of you deserves to see that vision come to fruition and see Susan Collins defeated, and we will use every tool at our disposal to do so.”
In the video, Platner also rejected the accusations against him.
“I wanted to directly address the troubling, serious, and false allegations against me,” he said. “Any accusation of non-consensual behavior is categorically false.”
Prior to the allegations, Breitbart News reported that a Fox News poll found the Maine Senate race was highly competitive, with Collins holding a slim 50 percent to 47 percent lead over Platner among registered voters.
