Graham Platner, the Democratic candidate in Maine's Senate race, is facing mounting pressure from within his own party after more than half of the Senate Democratic caucus called on him to withdraw from the race less than 24 hours after POLITICO reported that a woman he once dated had accused him of sexual assault. Platner has denied the allegation as false.
The rapid shift represents a dramatic reversal for a party that had largely stood by Platner through previous scandals in recent months. As of early Tuesday afternoon, 31 of the Senate's 47 Democratic senators had publicly called for his exit from the race.
What the Left Is Saying
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), chair of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, issued a joint statement saying Platner should withdraw and that "the DSCC will not invest in the Maine Senate race if Platner remains on the ballot."
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said he had spoken with Platner directly. "In light of these very serious allegations, I have recommended that he step aside," Sanders wrote in a statement.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), who stumped for Platner in April and referred to him as "my kind of man," reversed course Monday, saying there "can be no tolerance for sexual assault."
The Maine Democratic Party also released a joint statement calling for Platner to exit the race, while New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani called on him to step down Tuesday. "The allegations against Graham Platner are troubling and deeply serious," said Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), who rescinded his endorsement but stopped short of explicitly demanding he drop out.
What the Right Is Saying
Republican National Committee officials have pointed to the Democratic civil war as evidence of party infighting, though no senior Republican senators had issued direct statements about Platner by Tuesday afternoon. The allegations against a Democratic nominee present political opportunities for Maine's Republican candidate, who would face a significantly weakened opponent if Platner withdraws.
National Republican Senatorial Committee officials have declined to comment on whether they would increase investment in the Maine race should Platner remain the Democratic nominee. Conservative commentators have framed the situation as a reckoning for Democrats who previously supported Platner despite other controversies.
What the Numbers Show
Thirty-one of 47 Senate Democrats, or roughly 66 percent of the caucus, had publicly called for Platner to drop out as of early Tuesday afternoon.
Two Democratic senators who had endorsed Platner, Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), rescinded their endorsements but did not explicitly demand his withdrawal from the race. More than a dozen Democratic senators had not yet publicly commented on the situation and did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Platner's campaign has not announced whether he will continue in the race, with his office saying only that the campaign is "mindful of the political reality" and "taking the time to reflect on the best path forward."
The Bottom Line
The pressure on Platner continues to build as Maine's August primary approaches. If he withdraws, the state Democratic Party would need to select a new nominee through either a replacement process or emergency convention, which could delay campaign infrastructure development ahead of November.
Republican officials are closely monitoring whether Platner exits, which could shift competitive race ratings and affect national party spending allocations in one of this cycle's most-watched Senate contests. Angus King, Maine's independent senator who caucuses with Democrats, declined to comment per a longstanding policy against weighing in on races involving his colleagues.