Democratic Party leaders on Monday called on Graham Platner to withdraw as their nominee to run against Republican US Senator Susan Collins of Maine, after media reports that a woman accused him of forcibly having sex with her nearly five years ago.
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, who heads the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, said in a statement: “The DSCC will not invest in the Maine Senate race if Platner remains on the ballot”.
Earlier, Platner denied the accusations and said in a statement: “We are taking the time to reflect on the best path forward”. He did not indicate whether he was considering suspending or ending his campaign.
Collins’ seat is one of the most closely watched targets in Democrats’ drive to win majority control of the Senate in the November 3 midterm elections. Republicans currently hold 53 Senate seats, while Democrats have 47. They would need a net gain of four seats to take over the 100-member chamber.
Politico first reported that a woman accused Platner of forcing her to have sex with him nearly five years ago. CNN followed with a report that the woman accused him of entering her home without permission and raping her while he was intoxicated.
Within hours of the reports’ publication, Democratic Party leaders in Maine called on Platner to drop out while members of Congress withdrew their support for his candidacy.
