Overview
- Platner announced he was suspending campaign operations in a video Wednesday and said he intends to file formal paperwork to withdraw after Politico reported a 2021 rape allegation by Jenny Racicot.
- Racicot told reporters that Platner entered her home intoxicated in 2021 and forced sex while she protested, and several other former partners have publicly described rough or non-consensual behavior.
- Platner denied the accusations in his statement but said he was stepping aside because loss of party backing and withheld national funding left the campaign no viable path forward.
- The Maine Democratic Party approved plans for a nominating convention to choose a replacement and warned Platner must withdraw by July 13 for his name to be removed from the ballot and the party must name a new nominee by July 27.
- Top Democrats and national Democratic groups rescinded endorsements and signaled they would withhold money while Republican groups moved quickly to nationalize the race, a shift that could change fundraising, messaging, and the balance of the Senate contest.