Maine Democratic Senate Candidate Graham Platner Faces Calls to Resign over Rape Allegation

In Maine, Democratic senatorial candidate Graham Platner faces growing calls to step down, following a report he sexually assaulted a woman he had dated. Politico first reported the allegations by 41-year-old Maine resident Jenny Racicot on Monday afternoon. She later spoke with CNN’s Jake Tapper.
Jenny Racicot: “He violated multiple layers of consent that night, by coming into my home when I asked him not to and by advancing on me when I told him not to, and, furthermore, another incident that I had told him not to do.”
On Monday afternoon, Platner published a video on social media in which he denied the allegations but said he was considering the next steps for his campaign.
Graham Platner: “Regardless of the inaccuracy of the reporting, but mindful 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.”
In a statement, Senate Democratic leaders Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand said Platner should “immediately withdraw” from the race. Many of Platner’s supporters have withdrawn their endorsements, including California Congressmember Ro Khanna and Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren. And the chair of the Maine Democratic Party and other party leaders posted a statement calling on Platner to drop out. Under state law, Maine’s Democratic Party can name a replacement for Platner on the November ballot if he withdraws from the race by next Monday. The outcome of the election could determine the balance of power in the U.S. Senate.























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