Graham Platner drops out of Senate race, allowing Maine Democrats to replace him

BREAKING NEWSJul. 9, 2026, 12:20 AM UTC2026 Election2026 ElectionGraham Platner drops out of Senate race, allowing Maine Democrats to replace himHis decision comes within days of 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.Listen to this article with a free profile00:0000:00Former U.S. Senate candidate Graham Platner, D-Maine.Sofia Aldinio for NBC NewsShareAdd NBC News to GoogleBy Sahil KapurGraham Platner announced Wednesday he’s ending his Senate campaign, capping a chaotic few days of uncertainty and Democratic infighting and leaving the party without a candidate in the vitally important Maine race this fall.Subscribe to read this story ad-freeGet unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.The announcement by the populist progressive came after a woman he dated accused him of sexual assault in 2021, causing his support to hemorrhage even among top Democratic allies, who rescinded their endorsements and called on him to drop out.In a video message posted on X, Platner denied the allegation as “false” but said it has “placed an immense amount of weight” on him as he only has until Monday to decide whether to continue his candidacy. He said if he continued, he’d lose his ability to fundraise, access voter data or run a campaign.“What comes next needs to come from the people, needs to come from the people of Maine,” Platner said. “It needs to be open, transparent and democratic. It needs to be reflecting the will and the values of the people that built this movement.”“We believe that for the movement to continue, it can’t be me. And for that reason, we are suspending campaign operations,” Platner continued. “We’re not doing it because of the allegations, we’re doing it because of the structures that are being taken away from us by those in power.”The Maine Democratic Party now has the option to replace Platner on the ballot by a July 27 deadl...