Overview
- Platner announced he was suspending his campaign in a recorded video on Wednesday after Politico and CNN published Jenny Racicot’s account that he raped her in 2021.
- Platner has denied the allegation as categorically false while saying he would step aside to preserve the movement he built.
- Senate Democratic leaders, the Maine Democratic Party and the Senate Majority PAC withdrew endorsements and funding and publicly urged Platner to leave the race.
- Maine law gives candidates until July 13 to withdraw from the general-election ballot and the state party until July 27 to name a replacement, and party officials have approved a convention process to choose a new nominee.
- The vacancy matters to voters and to Democrats nationally because the seat, held by Republican Susan Collins, is seen as a key pickup that could affect which party controls the Senate in November.