Graham Platner formally withdrew from the Maine Senate race on Friday, days after he introduced he was suspending his marketing campaign within the wake of a sexual assault allegation, which he has denied.
Platner shared his letter to the Maine Secretary of State’s workplace in a publish on X.
“I write to formally withdraw my candidacy for america Senate,” the letter reads.
Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Graham Platner speaks at his Major Election occasion on June 9, 2026, in Blue Hill, Maine.
CJ Gunther/Getty Pictures, FILE
The Maine Secretary of State’s workplace confirmed through a press launch that it has obtained the formal discover of withdrawal from the race, which had been probably the most carefully watched within the nation as Democrats search to take again the Senate.
Platner gained the state’s Democratic main in June with greater than 70% of the vote to problem Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins within the basic election in November.
Earlier this week, a supply advised ABC Information that Platner privately advised employees that he deliberate to formally file the paperwork to withdraw from the race on Monday — the final day he may accomplish that.
Platner’s exit from the race got here after rising stress from Democrats, together with Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, who have been early supporters of his marketing campaign, which targeted on being an outsider who may tackle wealth inequality.
On Monday, Politico printed a report containing an allegation from Jenny Racicot, a former girlfriend, that Platner pressured her into having intercourse with out her consent after repeatedly telling him to cease whereas they have been relationship 5 years in the past.
Platner has continued to disclaim the allegation, calling it “categorically false.“
What to learn about Maine Democratic conference to select new nominee
Hours after Platner formally withdrew from the race, the Maine Democratic Occasion introduced it will maintain a conference to decide on a brand new nominee on July 25 — simply two days earlier than a July 27 deadline.
The conference will probably be made up of 601 delegates from Maine’s 16 counties. Of these, 101 will probably be members of the Democratic State Committee, who’re elected by Maine voters. The remaining 500 will probably be delegates appointed from every county.
Voting will probably be carried out in rounds till one candidate receives a majority, and the conference will probably be livestreamed.
“The conference will probably be truthful, consultant, and as clear as attainable as all of us come collectively in service of our final objective: defeat Susan Collins and win this Senate seat,” Maine Democratic State Committee Chair Charlie Dingman mentioned in a information launch asserting particulars of the conference.
In his discover of withdrawal, Platner writes that Maine voters need change and to additional the American dream.
“Persons are determined for change,” he wrote. For this damaged system to be righted. For the American experiment to be furthered.”
“My title could have been on the poll, however that poll line belongs to the individuals of Maine,” he wrote within the letter along with his formal withdrawal from the race.
Platner confronted a number of scandals since he launched his marketing campaign, together with sending sexually specific texts to a number of girls and beforehand having a tattoo with Nazi symbolism. Platner mentioned he did not know his tattoo had a Nazi affiliation and coated it up when he realized about its that means.
Platner responded to report about his specific textual content messages, saying he and his spouse “went by one thing arduous — due to me” and added that “individuals do not care about gossip or headlines, they care that you simply’re preventing for his or her hospitals, their paycheck, their children.”
