Schumer and Gillibrand call on Graham Platner to ‘immediately withdraw’ from Maine Senate race after rape allegation 

by | New York City

Schumer and Gillibrand call on Graham Platner to ‘immediately withdraw’ from Maine Senate race after rape allegation 


Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) Chairwoman Kirsten Gillibrand called on Graham Platner to “immediately withdraw” from the Maine Senate race Monday after the embattled Democratic candidate was accused of rape by an ex-girlfriend. 

 “The allegations reported today are incredibly disturbing – violence, abuse and sexual assault are absolutely unacceptable,” the New York Democrats said in a statement released by the DSCC.

“Graham Platner needs to immediately withdraw as the Democratic nominee for Senate and allow Maine Democrats the opportunity to choose a new candidate who can defeat Susan Collins,” Schumer and Gillibrand continued. 

Jenny Racicot, ex-girlfriend of Graham Platner, accused the Maine Senate hopeful of raping her five years ago. Getty Images
Jenny Racicot, Graham Platner’s ex, accused the scandal-scarred Maine Senate hopeful of raping her five years ago. and told CNN he apologized during the horrifying ordeal. CNN

The senators warned that Senate Democrats’ campaign and fundraising arm “will not invest in the Maine Senate race if Platner remains on the ballot.”

Maine is viewed as one of the Senate Democrats’ top pickup opportunities of the 2026 cycle.

Both Schumer and Gillibrand had previously endorsed Platner’s Democratic opponent, Maine Gov. Janet Mills, before she dropped out of the primary race. 

They publicly backed Platner after he met with Senate Democrats on Capitol Hill last month following bombshell reports in The New York Times and Wall Street Journal about the former oyster farmer’s suggestive texts with at least six women.

The DSCC and Schumer continued to support Platner after several of the Maine candidate’s exes described enduring alleged physical and mental abuse from Platner in a subsequent New York Times story last month.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Chairwoman Kirsten Gillibrand called on Graham Platner to “immediately withdraw” from race Monday. ZUMAPRESS.com
“Graham Platner needs to immediately withdraw as the Democratic nominee for Senate and allow Maine Democrats the opportunity to choose a new candidate who can defeat Susan Collins,” Schumer and Gillibrand wrote in their joint letter.

Matthew McDermott for NY Post

Most recently, Jenny Racicot, Platner’s ex-girlfriend, alleged in a Politico piece published Monday that the Maine Senate hopeful drunkenly broke into her home and raped her about five years ago.

Schumer and Gillibrand joined a growing list of Democrats calling on Platner to step aside in his race against incumbent Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) amid the rape allegation. 

The Maine Democratic Party, Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calf.) and others have also demanded that Platner drop out.

Platner on Monday said the rape allegation was “false” but that he will take time “to reflect on the best path forward.”



Source link

Submit a Comment