Graham Platner officially withdraws from US Senate race

Graham Platner officially withdrew from the U.S. Senate race on Friday, five days after an accusation of sexual assault tanked his support from Democrats. 

This formal notice officially clears the way for the Maine Democratic Party to select a new nominee. It must name a replacement no later than July 27. 

“Over the past eleven months, thousands and thousands of Mainers poured their hearts, time, and talent into a movement to deliver that vision,” Platner wrote in the notice. “I will be forever grateful to them. And in submitting this letter today, I seek to further the movement we have built together and the future we believe in.”

He concluded the notice with: “F*ck ICE. Free Palestine. Up the Hearts.”

Platner announced his intention to suspend his campaign in a video on Wednesday. However, a formal withdrawal in writing to the Maine Secretary of State’s Office on Friday made that decision official. 

The political newcomer had weathered a series of controversies during his campaign but an allegation of sexual assault reported by Politico on Monday resulted in the nominee rapidly losing support from both national and local Democrats. 

Platner’s exit clouds Democrats’ hopes of winning back the U.S. Senate majority, as Maine’s seat long held by Republican U.S. Sen. Susan Collins is seen as crucial for that aim. 

While the state party has shared few details about the process to replace him so far, it has made public its candidate qualifications, including 500 nominating signatures from registered Democratic voters that must be submitted by July 21. 

Meanwhile, county-level caucuses are being scheduled to select delegates and the party intends to hold an approximately 600- person nominating convention the weekend before the July 27 selection deadline, though a date has yet to be finalized.