Dems ditch Graham Platner following rape allegation

thepostmillennial.com

"Sexual violence is a red line. We are withdrawing our endorsement and calling on him to withdraw from this race."

Dems ditch Graham Platner following rape allegation

"Sexual violence is a red line. We are withdrawing our endorsement and calling on him to withdraw from this race."

Multiple Democrats have pulled their endorsements of Senate candidate Graham Platner following a new report released on Monday that revealed a woman who dated him alleged he raped her. The report is the latest in a string of scandals that the Maine Democrat has faced on the campaign trail. 

Arizona Senator Ruben Gallego wrote, "The allegations against Graham Platner are troubling and deeply serious. I am rescinding my endorsement."

California Rep Ro Khanna wrote, "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."

Our Revolution, an organization born out of Senator Bernie Sanders’ failed 2016 presidential campaign, also rescinded its endorsement of Platner, writing, "Sexual violence is a red line. We are withdrawing our endorsement and calling on him to withdraw from this race."

Other Democrats called for Platner to exit the race. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Chair Kirsten Gillibrand released a joint statement, saying, "The allegations reported today are incredibly disturbing – violence, abuse and sexual assault are absolutely unacceptable."

“Graham Platner needs to immediately withdraw as the Democratic nominee for Senate and allow Maine Democrats the opportunity to choose a new candidate who can defeat Susan Collins. The DSCC will not invest in the Maine Senate race if Platner remains on the ballot," they added.

Democrat candidate for Maine Governor Hannah Pingree wrote, "These allegations are deeply disturbing. Jenny Racicot is a woman who has shown real courage in sharing her story — what she's describing is serious, credible and cannot be dismissed.

"For Maine, for the future of control of the US Senate, and because no party should stand behind a candidate facing allegations of assault, Graham Platner should exit the race immediately," she continued. "Democrats need a nominee who can beat Susan Collins in November. Graham Platner is no longer that candidate. Graham Platner tapped into something real — voters hungry for change showed up with real passion and energy. That energy doesn't have to go away. It needs a new candidate to carry it forward."

In an interview with Fox News, Senator John Fetterman called Platner a "dead man walking." He said, "I don't know why he's trying to pretend that he's not done too. Even those Pod Save America people that pushed that dirtbag, you know, and they dismiss those things in the New York Times article. Maybe they ought to apologize to the women that clearly they didn't believe, or they dismissed that. I know, I know, Democrats that have, you know, back-to-back endorsed and got all in on Swalwell, and were on the Platner train as well, too, so maybe stop getting on bed with absolute dirt bags, someone like Platner."

Jenny Racicot told Politico that she had been involved in an on-and-off relationship with Platner for more than two years. She alleged that on a night in 2021, Platner came to her rural Maine home uninvited while drunk and raped her despite her repeatedly telling him to stop.

“I remember him grabbing my pelvis and being really forceful of me,” she said. “I remember the specific moment where I thought to myself, like, ‘This is no longer my choice.’" Platner has denied the allegations.