By Nicole Silverio
Democratic Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner suspended his campaign Wednesday after a previous girlfriend accused him of sexual assault.
Platner announced his exit two days after 41-year-old Maine resident Jenny Racicot accused him of forcibly having sex with her in 2021. The Maine Democrat was embroiled in several controversies, including his Nazi tattoo, inappropriate social media posts and his mockery of a veteran.
“We are suspending our campaign operations,” Platner said in a video statement. “This is incredibly difficult because I know that some will think it’s an admission of guilt and it most certainly is not. We’re not doing it because of the allegations, we’re doing it because of the structures that are being taken away from us by those in power. And I also feel an immense amount of responsibility to everyone who has worked so hard to get us where we are. We went toe to toe with one of the most entrenched political systems in the history of the world and we won.” “My name might be on the ballot right now, but that ballot line belongs to the people of Maine,” he said.
Platner denied Racicot’s allegation and other accusations of sexually inappropriate behavior.
“I wanted to directly address the troubling, serious and false allegations against me,” Platner said on X. “Any allegations of sexually inappropriate behavior is categorically false. Over the last 10 months, I have been deeply humbled by the faith Mainers have put in me. You have welcomed me into your homes, into your places of works, into your restaurants and into your places of worship. You have shown that a different kind of politics, one that puts the interests of people over corporations, is not just possible but is inevitable.” (RELATED: Maine Senate Candidate Graham Platner Accused Of Sexual Assault)
Racicot alleged that Platner entered her home and ejaculated inside of her against her will, Politico reported. She was quoted in a New York Times investigation into his dating history, where she said she cut off all contact with Platner after he arrived at her home drunk and engaged in “unsettling” and “reckless” behavior.
The accuser said she sent Platner a private message on Instagram stating the incident was non-consensual and she did not want to hear from him ever again, Politico reported. She deleted all of her text and social media messages with Platner and said she could not recover the Instagram messages she sent. Racicot said she avoided going to the police because she felt uncomfortable telling an officer what happened.
Democratic operatives, including former Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Donna Brazile, called on Platner to drop out. Democratic Arizona Sen. Ruben Gallego and Democratic California Rep. Ro Khanna rescinded their endorsements Monday. Independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, Democratic Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Democratic New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani also called on Platner to step aside.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) chairwoman Kirsten Gillibrand released a joint statement vowing to not invest in the Maine Senate race if Platner remained on the ballot. Before these allegations, Schumer repeatedly refused to address Platner’s controversies, telling reporters the Democrats would “beat Susan Collins, [and] take back the Senate.”
“The allegations reported today are incredibly disturbing – violence, abuse and sexual assault are absolutely unacceptable. Graham Platner needs to immediately withdraw as the Democratic nominee for Senate and allow Maine Democrats the opportunity to choose a new candidate who can defeat Susan Collins. The DSCC will not invest in the Maine Senate race if Platner remains on the ballot,” the statement read.
Platner canceled scheduled campaign events and considered next steps in response to Racicot’s allegations. The campaign indefinitely postponed town halls in Augusta on Sunday and Gorham on Monday. Gorham Democrats claimed Monday that Platner was “not feeling well.”
The Maine Democrat refused to drop out unless he could appoint a replacement, arguing voters should pick his replacement rather than the establishment.
Platner’s wife, Amy Gertner, warned his campaign in 2025 that he had sent sexually explicit messages to other women. Platner stated afterwards that his marriage went through “something hard” because of his actions.
Six of Platner’s ex-girlfriends spoke to the Times in June about their former relationships with Platner. Lyndsey Fifield, a conservative activist, alleged Platner twisted her arm, shoved her into a bedroom and held the door closed so she could not escape. Many of her friends corroborated that the two had a toxic relationship.
However, Fifield dated Platner from 2013 to 2015 and did not come out publicly about her relationship until June. She also wrote in a private group chat in summer 2025 that she would “personally go campaign for [Republican Maine Sen. Susan] Collins.” She never disclosed how the Times wound up interviewing her or whether she reached out to do the interview.
In October, Platner covered up a chest tattoo that depicted what appeared to be a Totenkopf, a skull symbol closely associated with Nazi SS units. He also made several comments in Reddit posts about masturbating in portable toilets and praised explicit military restroom graffiti.
Some old social media posts showed Platner downplaying the severity of sexual assault and using derogatory remarks against rural white Americans, women and gay people. In 2019, the Senate-hopeful also mocked a wounded U.S. soldier in response to a viral video of him getting shot by the Taliban, according to the Editorial Board’s Magdi Jacobs.
“This video never gets old. Dumb motherfucker didn’t deserve to live,” Platner wrote, according to Jacobs. “At least his stupidity and fat ass wheezing are available for all future infantrymen to witness and hold in contempt. Poor marksmanship on the Taliban’s part is the only reason this mouthbreather made it home, he managed to make every possible shit decision possible when it comes to small unit combat.”
Platner faced a competitive race against incumbent Republican Maine Sen. Susan Collins. Some polls showed Platner leading Collins, including a Tavern Research poll from Friday which showed Platner leading 52% to 48%. A New York Times/Portland Press Herald/Siena poll found Platner ahead 49% to 47%.
Democratic Maine Gov. Janet Mills dropped out of the race on April 30, making Platner the only viable Democratic candidate at the time. She signaled on June 1 that she may re-enter the race by saying she is “still on the ballot.”
Even after all the allegations against Platner, a PPP poll showed that he polled better against Susan Collins than Governor Mills did, and that Maine Democrats more strongly supported Platner against Collins than they did Mills. Among Maine’s rank-and-file Democrats, the rape allegations against Platner seem less of a liability than Governor Mills’ perceived moderation on issues such as data centers, which Maine Democrats seem to hate. Despite being a progressive, Governor Mills has occasionally vetoed bills passed by Maine’s Democratic legislature that would shrink Maine’s economy or give the state budget problems.
Graham Platner also cheated on his fiancée and bragged his Nazi tattoo was a reminder that the ‘US was the evil bad guy’.
