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Graham Platner drops out of Maine Senate race after sexual assault accusation

2 hours agoCenter Left

His decision comes days before a key deadline, allowing Maine’s Democratic Party to select a new candidate to face Republican Sen. Susan Collins in a critical contest for Senate control.

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Graham Platner just dropped out. Here’s who could replace him.

Politics

49 minutes ago

Graham Platner just dropped out. Here’s who could replace him.

Several potential successors have already signaled their interest in seeking the Democratic nomination for Maine Senate.

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Maine Democrat Graham Platner suspends Senate candidacy amid allegations

NewsNation

1 hour ago

Maine Democrat Graham Platner suspends Senate candidacy amid allegations

Fellow Democrats pulled their support this week after published reports featured a woman who said Platner sexually assaulted her while intoxicated in 2021.

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Graham Platner Drops Out of Maine Senate Race After Sexual Assault Allegations

TIME

1 hour ago

Graham Platner Drops Out of Maine Senate Race After Sexual Assault Allegations

Platner's exit leaves Democrats scrambling to field a new candidate to take on Senator Susan Collins.

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Platner says he will suspend his Senate campaign in Maine

NBC News Politics

1 hour ago

Platner says he will suspend his Senate campaign in Maine

In a video posted on X, Graham Platner announced he is ending his Senate campaign after a woman accused him of sexual assault in 2021. Platner denied the allegation as “false” but said that he was suspending campaign operations. NBC News’ Ryan Nobles reports.

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WATCH: Graham Platner's video denial of sexual assault sounds EERILY similar to that of Eric Swalwell

Blaze Media

1 hour ago

WATCH: Graham Platner's video denial of sexual assault sounds EERILY similar to that of Eric Swalwell

A Fox News report compared the video denials of sexual harassment from two Democratic candidates and found some eerie similarities.Graham Platner has denied allegations of sexual assault from a woman he dated and is resisting calls to step down from his campaign for one of Maine's seats in the U.S. Senate.'Just like all of the Dems resounding their endorsements. All scripted.'The report found that his denial had many of the same elements as the one issued by former Rep. Eric Swalwell in April when he faced similar accusations.Swalwell said in his video that he wanted "you to see and hear from me directly.""I wanted to directly address the troubling, serious, and false allegations against me," Platner said in his video released on Monday."These allegations of sexual assault are flat false," Swalwell said."Any accusation of nonconsensual behavior is categorically false," Platner said."I'm gonna spend time with my family and friends, and I appreciate those who have reached out to me to show support," Swalwell said."We're taking the time to reflect on the best path forward for the state that I love, the people that I love," Platner said.Both Democrats were ridiculed greatly on social media."Did they have the same script writer?" Republican Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina responded."Keep going ... there are more I suspect," California politician Gloria Romero replied."Just like all of the Dems resounding their endorsements. All scripted," another user said."Democrat sexual predators are so common that they have a template for a response. Eric Swalwell and Graham Platner must have gotten the outline in their welcome packet when they registered to run for office. Just insert your name and read!" another critic joked.RELATED: Donna Brazile gets CRUSHED online over bizarre reply to allegations against Graham Platner "Same script. Same denial. Same DNC playbook. ... Who wrote the script for them?" another response reads.Many Democrats have rescinded their endorsements for Platner and called for him to step down from the campaign, though others are still defending him.While Platner continues trying to hold on to his senatorial hopes, Swalwell set a grim precedent. The California Democrat was forced to abandon his gubernatorial hopes and resigned from office.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

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Graham Platner DROPS OUT of pivotal Senate race after holding Democrats hostage

Blaze Media

1 hour ago

Graham Platner DROPS OUT of pivotal Senate race after holding Democrats hostage

The beleaguered campaign of Graham Platner has come to an end after a woman he dated formerly accused him of sexual assault.Platner was seeking to defeat Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine and help Democrats take back control of the U.S. Senate in the midterms before the bombshell report hit Monday. 'We are taking the time to reflect on the best path forward.' Platner said he was suspending the campaign in a post Wednesday evening. "My name might be on the ballot right now, but that ballot line belongs to the people of Maine," he said. "What comes next needs to come from the people of Maine," he said in the video. "We believe that for the movement to continue, it can't be me. For that reason, we are suspending campaign operations," he added.Platner denied the accusations from a woman who dated him nearly five years ago and documented her allegations in an extensive Politico report on Monday. "Any accusation of nonconsensual behavior is categorically false," Platner said in a statement about the accusations Monday. Platner had also released a video calling the allegations "troubling, serious, and false" but admitted he was considering dropping out. "Regardless of the inaccuracy of the reporting," he said, "and mindful of the political reality it will inflict, we are taking the time to reflect on the best path forward." On Wednesday, after numerous Democrats revoked their endorsements and called for him to step down, he made the fateful announcement.Platner's campaign was plagued from the beginning by numerous scandals, including a Nazi-linked tattoo on his chest and accusations that he had sought romantic partners while married to his wife.RELATED: 'Should be nowhere near Congress': Even 'The View' thinks Graham Platner is a TERRIBLE candidate The latest polling showed Platner slightly ahead of Collins by a slim margin of 2 percentage points, which was well within the margin of error.He blamed some of his past behavior on mental health issues stemming from his time serving in the military during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

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Graham Platner ends Maine Senate campaign

Politics

1 hour ago

Graham Platner ends Maine Senate campaign

He had lost significant support and financial backing among Democrats in the wake of a POLITICO report that a woman said he forced her to have sex. He denied the claim.

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Graham Platner suspends Maine Senate campaign after sexual assault allegation

Politics - CBSNews.com

2 hours ago

Graham Platner suspends Maine Senate campaign after sexual assault allegation

Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner is suspending his campaign against GOP Sen. Susan Collins, after a woman accused him of sexually assaulting her five years ago.

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Graham Platner drops out of Maine Senate race after sexual assault accusation

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Graham Platner drops out of Maine Senate race after sexual assault accusation

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