Platner Senate campaign responds to sexual assault allegation

Democratic Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner on Monday said he’s taking “time to reflect” on his campaign’s path forward after a woman accused him of sexually assaulting her in 2021.

Platner and his campaign denied the accusations made by 41-year-old Maine resident Jenny Racicot in a Politico article published Monday. Politico reported that she accused Platner of sexual assault. Platner is a Marine veteran and oysterman who rocketed to his party’s nomination this year on a populist, progressive message.

In a video posted to X minutes after the Politico story was published, Platner denied the reporting but said the campaign is “taking the time to reflect on the best path forward” as he challenges incumbent Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, for a hotly contested seat.

“I wanted to directly address the troubling, serious, and false allegations against me. Any accusation of non-consensual behavior is categorically false,” Platner said. “This movement we have built — the largest volunteer base in the history of Maine politics, the hundreds of thousands of grassroots donors, the supporters across the ideological spectrum — we were united in a love of Maine, a belief that our politics must change and a focus on defeating Susan Collins.”

Platner did not say he would drop out of the campaign, though pressure to do so is almost certain to come. Platner defeated Maine’s incumbent Gov. Janet Mills in the Democratic primary.

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