Politics
Democrat Graham Platner drops out of US Senate race in Maine
Graham Platner, a Democrat running for the U.S. Senate in Maine, withdrew his candidacy after facing an allegation of sexual assault. The decision comes as Democrats struggle to replace him with another candidate before the upcoming midterm elections.
Coverage timeline — 4 articles
CNBC
Maine Democrats must now replace Platner with less than four months until the midterm elections.
2026-07-09 00:20 UTC
The Hill
Graham Platner, the oyster farmer whose populist platform took Maine by storm, dropped his Senate bid Wednesday night as controversies over his past stacked up, leaving Democrats without a nominee to take on Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) this fall. Platner’s decision comes after he easily won the Dem
2026-07-09 00:22 UTC
BBC News
Platner had denied the allegation, calling it "categorically false", but the list of fellow Democrats pressing him to withdraw quickly grew.
2026-07-09 00:33 UTC
NPR
Platner's campaign to unseat GOP Sen. Susan Collins in Maine was marked by repeated scandals. It came to a crashing halt after the allegation led top Democrats to withdraw their support.
2026-07-09 00:23 UTC