A woman who previously dated Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner said he drunkenly forced her to have sex after she told him to stop, according to a Politico report released Monday, leading prominent supporters to pull their endorsements and throwing a must-win race for the party into turmoil.
Platner denied the allegation, but said he would be considering next steps for his campaign.
“Regardless of the inaccuracy of the reporting but mindful of the political reality it will inflict, we’re taking the time to reflect on the best path forward,” he said in a video released on social media.
Jenny Racicot, who lives in Maine, told Politico that Platner entered her home in 2021 while drunk and assaulted her. Racicot said she had been in an on-and-off relationship with Platner, but she cut off contact with him after that night and told him the incident wasn’t consensual. A voicemail left at a number listed for Racicot seeking comment did not receive an immediate response.
Platner’s campaign did not immediately respond to an email and phone message from The Associated Press seeking comment.
“Any accusation of non-consensual behavior is categorically false,” Platner said in his video.
Still, the allegation sparked a flight away from a candidate who has long been controversial. Rep. Ro Khanna, a California Democrat who’d stood by Platner even as the insurgent candidate was hit with prior allegations, said Monday’s was enough. “I’ve been very clear that sexual assault or violence against women is a red line,” Khanna said. “These allegations are very serious and credible. Graham Platner should drop out from the race. I am withdrawing my endorsement.”
Edit: holy shit, these comments are insane.
Regardless of what you believe with this, Platner likely cannot win anymore. He has a week to do the right thing and drop out before he’s fully locked in. If he actually gives any sort of a shit (and doesn’t just want power, like rapists seeking office tend to), he needs to drop out yesterday.
This is the nail in the coffin for his campaign. It’s not time to defend him no matter what, because there’s still a week where a new candidate can be put into place. Instead of being mad at people not wanting to vote for him, you should start vocally supporting another candidate.
Yuuurp. And 90% of people (even on here) are eating it up. Subverting primaries is a Dem past time
If it’s this easy to sling allegations around then progressive candidates everywhere are fucked.
Why bother voting when you can just accuse a candidate of rape? It’s super effective, apparently. Unless they’re a republican, at least…
Crazy thing about this is that there are just enough details that I believe it is real, but just enough missing pieces that it puts it in doubt…
Yes, this is a piece that can make plenty of people feel vindicated about their hunches on Platner. But the way this came out and how the media jumped on this story while it has passed over oodles of testimony of Trump committing sexual assault, I can equally understand people being suspicious as well. And it is a playbook that can be trotted out whether there is a true story behind it or not, anytime there is a Democratic candidate for a position that didn’t come from a prestigious institution with everything given to them on a silver platter.
People are crying for “average” people to be part of government, this is an average person we got from Maine and now many are getting upset. People who haven’t had anything happen that could be construed as scandalous from their high school prom to now, where a story like this could credibly be denied, are shut-ins like me who aren’t interested in dating and wouldn’t seriously think to run in politics, or are well-educated with above-average wealth.
Yeah, people make it way too easy for the entrenched powers to manipulate them. At this point if the republicans hold onto a thin senate majority, I won’t have any sympathy for the dumbass voters who fell for such a transparent tactic again.
We won’t be able to fix our broken system until we stop proving that uncorroborated mudslinging works better than actually offering good policy.
Your argument is that there are so many rapists amongst average people that we have no choice but to elect them?
There are a lot of people who date and don’t rape people.
Jesus Christ.
I’m not saying every average person is a rapist, but since it’s a common enough experience (21% of women) despite underreporting: https://www.nsvrc.org/statistics/statistics-depth/, I’m saying most people could be believably accused of an incident like this happening in their lifetime. And people who have been long scrutinized in a political career or from an elite institution will tend to be able to stay clear of incidents like these.
And it’s an entirely separate issue, that unless Platner steps down, the election is currently a choice between him and an incumbent Senator that at best might say she is concerned about women’s rights being taken away but will do nothing, and at worst will support a party that plans to take even more rights away from women, including the right to vote. If one wants to hold a consistent position as to “blue no matter who”, the same applies for a potential rapist as it does a bland corporate dem, as it does a former policewoman, as it does a Muslim democratic socilaist.
Listen, as more info comes out verifying the claims from the Politico article or perhaps other revelations I think Platner may be best to step down. That’s his choice to make, but I think we should be measured when evaluating every accusation and claim of whatever nature, instead of getting in a frenzy.
I agree he should step down. I don’t think it’s helpful to push that this is the best representation we can find from average people. I’ve always been against “vote blue no matter who” for exactly these types of scenarios.
We shouldn’t hold the position of “vote blue no matter who”. I can’t believe the discussion we’re all having is that we should vote for a rapist and that the ends justifies the means.
You don’t need to hold that position, I can tell that you haven’t and I respect that. It is, however a position that can be held amongst many opinions. My point is that, if it was employed in one of the other cases I mentioned, it should be employed here to avoid hypocrisy.
I’d rather be a hypocrite than knowingly support putting a rapist in a position of power.
That’s why that position is inherently flawed. Because we end up supporting people just like MAGA does.
Again, I respect that. Feel free to give yourself a pat on the back for the unflawed principles upon which you stand.
And discrediting and disbelieving rape victims is a past time shared by all political spectrums.
Fine. I have a solution that should make everyone happy. We elect Platner now. In turn, he promises to resign as soon as a credible and progressive candidate can be selected that will share his values. Platner can endorse that person, then the whole state can pressure Janet Mills to appoint that person after Platner resigns. He can win the election and then resign the day he’s sworn in.
“Believe rape victims” does not mean “hand the race to a corporatist Dem or a Republican.”
This would satisfy things, wouldn’t it? Platner wouldn’t actually get to serve a Senate term. Justice would be served. Yet, somehow, I think justice may not be your actual highest priority.