Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner’s campaign is in hot water again after new allegations of sexual misconduct were reported Monday. Now his campaign against Susan Collins hangs by a very thin thread.
Platner issued a two-minute video response on Monday afternoon in light of a new report from Politico. In the report a woman, described as someone who once dated Platner, accused him of “sexual assault.”
‘Graham Platner should drop out from the race. I am withdrawing my endorsement.’
In the video, Platner denied the allegations against him, calling them “troubling, serious, and false,” adding that “any accusation of nonconsensual behavior is categorically false.”
The progressive Democrat spent the beginning of the video praising the movement his candidacy built and “the largest volunteer base in the history of Maine politics,” fueled by “a focus on defeating Susan Collins.”
Noting the seriousness of the allegations, however, Platner then made a remark that had some viewers asking questions about the future of his campaign: “So, regardless of the inaccuracy of the reporting but mindful of the political reality it will inflict, we are taking time to reflect on the best path forward for the state that I love, the people that I love, the movement I belong to, and the goal of defeating Susan Collins.”
While no definitive statement about the future of his campaign was given in his response, Platner did, however, promise to keep fighting for the base of supporters he amassed over the duration of his campaign.
RELATED: Democrats close ranks around Graham Platner despite string of scandals
David Paul Morris/Bloomberg/Getty Images
“On June 9, 154,058 Mainers — the most in primary history — voted to reject a broken politics beholden to Washington and the donor class. They voted for hope, for change, to take back our economy, to take back our power, and to take back our Senate seat,” Platner said in the video.
“Every one of you deserves to see that vision come to fruition and see Susan Collins defeated. And we will use every tool at our disposal to do so,” he added. “As Maine goes, so goes the nation.”
While Platner is not himself officially a part of the far-left Democratic Socialists of America, which has seen some success in recent primaries across the country, his progressive platform may appear to resemble the more radical wing of the party.
While some notable figures have expressed their skepticism of Platner, one Democrat leader has stuck with him through the multiple scandals that have arisen during his campaign.
Steve Guest posted a clip of a press conference earlier this year with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer being asked about Graham Platner and the explanations he has given for the past allegations.
Schumer gave a consistent answer, explicitly saying, “I endorsed Graham Platner,” and said they will defeat Susan Collins and “take back the Senate.” The clip shows Schumer’s apparent preference for Platner over establishment Democrat candidate Janet Mills, who suspended her campaign at the end of April.
Graham Platner handily won the June 9 primary and will face Collins in November, if his campaign continues.
Hours later, Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), who previously supported Platner’s campaign, released a statement on social media: “I’ve been very clear that sexual assault or violence against women is a red line. These allegations are very serious and credible. Graham Platner should drop out from the race. I am withdrawing my endorsement.”
Blaze News contacted Rep. Ro Khanna and Senators Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), John Fetterman (D-Penn.), and Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) but did not immediately receive a response.
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