Democrat Graham Platner said he is dropping out of the race for U.S. Senate while refuting an accusation of sexual assault that made national headlines this week.
“This is incredibly difficult, because I know that some will think it’s an admission of guilt, and it most certainly is not,” Platner said in an 11-minute video posted on social media Wednesday announcing that he is suspending campaign operations. “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.”
Platner’s announcement came two days after Politico published an exclusive account about a woman who accused Platner of sexual assault in 2021.
Platner, a 41-year-old oyster farmer from Blue Hill with no political experience, was seeking to unseat U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, the Republican incumbent running for her sixth term. The 73-year-old from Caribou chairs the Senate’s Appropriations Committee.
The Maine Democratic Party has until July 27 to choose a replacement candidate in November’s general election.
