{"id":1007,"date":"2026-07-07T05:37:19","date_gmt":"2026-07-07T05:37:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/?p=1007"},"modified":"2026-07-07T05:37:19","modified_gmt":"2026-07-07T05:37:19","slug":"dems-ditch-platner-over-rape-claims-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/?p=1007","title":{"rendered":"Dems Ditch Platner Over Rape Claims"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Democrats nationwide have bailed on embattled Maine Senate Democratic candidate Graham Platner after a bombshell report accused the leftist oyster farmer of rape.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Read more Can Democrats Still Replace Graham Platner? Yes, But It\u2019s Complicated<\/a><\/p>\n

Politico interviewed 41-year-old Maine resident Jenny Racicot, who accused Platner of breaking into her house in 2021 and sexually assaulting her. In a one-two punch, CNN released an interview with Racicot, who described the alleged assault as rape.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) demanded that Platner drop out, calling the rape claims \u201cincredibly disturbing.\u201d <\/span>Platner\u2019s decisive primary victory in June dealt a major blow to Schumer, who recruited and backed Maine Democratic Governor Janet Mills.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe DSCC will not invest in the Maine Senate race if Platner remains on the ballot,\u201d Schumer said in a statement with fellow Sen. Kristen Gillibrand (D-NY).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Rep. Ro Khana (D-CA), who has previously defended and attached himself to Platner, also pulled the plug.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been very clear that sexual assault or violence against women is a red line,\u201d Khanna said. \u201cThese allegations are very serious and credible. Graham Platner should drop out from the race. I am withdrawing my endorsement.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

I\u2019ve been very clear that sexual assault or violence against women is a red line. These allegations are very serious and credible. Graham Platner should drop out from the race. I am withdrawing my endorsement.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Ro Khanna (@RoKhanna) July 6, 2026<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) also bailed on the Maine Democrat.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

The allegations against Graham Platner are troubling and deeply serious.<\/p>\n

I am rescinding my endorsement.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Ruben Gallego (@RubenGallego) July 6, 2026<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Hasan Piker, the leftist streamer working overtime to elect socialist candidates, predicted the end of Platner\u2019s campaign.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThat is curtains. That is the trifecta. Okay, that is the trifecta of a reliable allegation. It\u2019s holy sh*t\u2026I believe this, this accusation. I believe this allegation,\u201d Piker said, <\/span>according to Politico.<\/span><\/p>\n

The <\/span>Maine Democratic Party<\/span> also called on Platner to drop out of the race against incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As of Monday afternoon, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) has not publicly weighed in on the bombshell.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Previously, Sanders <\/span>drew a line<\/span> in the sand: \u201cI\u2019m going to do everything I can to make sure that Graham Platner is the next senator from the state of Maine,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

On the campaign trail, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) embraced Platner in endearing terms. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s my kind of man,\u201d she said before Platner clinched the Democratic nomination. Now, she wants him gone.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Read more Platner Accuser Says He Stopped To \u2018Apologize,\u2019 Then Raped Her Anyway<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cWith so much at stake, the best path forward is for Graham Platner to step aside as the Democratic nominee and address these serious allegations outside this Senate race,\u201d Warren said in a statement Monday evening.<\/p>\n

The turmoil comes after Racicot told Politico she had an on-and-off relationship with Platner for more than two years before \u201che entered her rural Maine home uninvited\u201d in late 2021. She described Platner as \u201cdeeply intoxicated,\u201d claiming he forced himself on her despite repeatedly telling him to stop.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI remember him grabbing my pelvis and being really forceful of me,\u201d she said to Politico. \u201cI remember the specific moment where I thought to myself, like, \u2018This is no longer my choice.\u2019\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Racicot said she felt compelled to come forward after other women raised allegations against Platner.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOne of the reasons I didn\u2019t come forward sooner was, the huge moral conflict that I had between supporting his politics, but not supporting him as a person,\u201d she said to Politico. \u201cI just want the truth out there. I just want people to have a whole scope of who he is as a person.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The woman told POLITICO she connected with Platner on the dating app Bumble in 2019 and had consensual sex with him before the night he allegedly assaulted her. On that night in 2021, she described an \u201calmost blackout drunk\u201d Platner getting on top of her.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI had been telling him these words, like: \u2018No, don\u2019t,\u2019\u201d she recalled to Politico. \u201cAnd, the look on his face and realizing what was happening, I just realized that, like, I am in a situation where there\u2019s no consent here,\u201d she said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Weeks after the alleged assault, Racicot said she \u201cstruggled with shock and confusion\u201d and did not file a police report. The outlet reviewed messages she sent to friends and spoke to partners who appeared to support her account.<\/span><\/p>\n

Platner denied the accusations, telling Politico: \u201cThese allegations are troubling, serious, and false.\u201d Minutes after the story was published, Platner took to social media.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAny accusation of nonconsensual behavior is categorically false,\u201d he said in a <\/span>two-minute video message<\/span>. \u201cRegardless of the inaccuracy of the reporting, but mindful the political reality it will inflict, we are taking time to reflect on the best path forward\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Maine Democrats face a <\/span>July 13 deadline<\/span> to swap Platner for another Democrat to challenge incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThese allegations are appalling. Nevertheless, it is not up to me to choose the Democratic nominee for Senate,\u201d Sen. Collins said in response to the scandal.<\/span><\/p>\n

Read more Still With Him: Stephen King Sticks With Graham Platner Following Rape Allegation<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Democrats nationwide have bailed on embattled Maine Senate Democratic candidate Graham Platner after a bombshell report accused the leftist oyster farmer of rape.\u00a0Politico interviewed 41-year-old Maine resident Jenny Racicot, who accused Platner of breaking into her house in 2021 and sexually assaulting her. In a one-two punch, CNN released an interview with Racicot, who described the alleged assault as rape.\u00a0Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) demanded that Platner drop out, calling the rape claims \u201cincredibly disturbing.\u201d Platner\u2019s decisive primary victory in June dealt a major blow to Schumer, who recruited and backed Maine Democratic Governor Janet Mills.\u00a0\u201cThe DSCC will not invest in the Maine Senate race if Platner remains on the ballot,\u201d Schumer said in a statement with fellow Sen. Kristen Gillibrand (D-NY).\u00a0Rep. Ro Khana (D-CA), who has previously defended and attached himself to Platner, also pulled the plug.\u00a0\u201cI\u2019ve been very clear that sexual assault or violence against women is a red line,\u201d Khanna said. \u201cThese allegations are very serious and credible. Graham Platner should drop out from the race. I am withdrawing my endorsement.\u201d\u00a0I\u2019ve been very clear that sexual assault or violence against women is a red line. These allegations are very serious and credible. Graham Platner should drop out from the race. I am withdrawing my endorsement.\u2014 Ro Khanna (@RoKhanna) July 6, 2026Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) also bailed on the Maine Democrat.\u00a0The allegations against Graham Platner are troubling and deeply serious.I am rescinding my endorsement.\u2014 Ruben Gallego (@RubenGallego) July 6, 2026Hasan Piker, the leftist streamer working overtime to elect socialist candidates, predicted the end of Platner\u2019s campaign.\u00a0\u201cThat is curtains. That is the trifecta. Okay, that is the trifecta of a reliable allegation. It\u2019s holy sh*t\u2026I believe this, this accusation. I believe this allegation,\u201d Piker said, according to Politico.\u00a0The Maine Democratic Party also called on Platner to drop out of the race against incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins.\u00a0As of Monday afternoon, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) has not publicly weighed in on the bombshell.\u00a0Previously, Sanders drew a line in the sand: \u201cI\u2019m going to do everything I can to make sure that Graham Platner is the next senator from the state of Maine,\u201d he said.\u00a0On the campaign trail, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) embraced Platner in endearing terms. \u201cThat\u2019s my kind of man,\u201d she said before Platner clinched the Democratic nomination. Now, she wants him gone.\u00a0\u201cWith so much at stake, the best path forward is for Graham Platner to step aside as the Democratic nominee and address these serious allegations outside this Senate race,\u201d Warren said in a statement Monday evening.The turmoil comes after Racicot told Politico she had an on-and-off relationship with Platner for more than two years before \u201che entered her rural Maine home uninvited\u201d in late 2021. She described Platner as \u201cdeeply intoxicated,\u201d claiming he forced himself on her despite repeatedly telling him to stop.\u00a0\u201cI remember him grabbing my pelvis and being really forceful of me,\u201d she said to Politico. \u201cI remember the specific moment where I thought to myself, like, \u2018This is no longer my choice.\u2019\u201d\u00a0Racicot said she felt compelled to come forward after other women raised allegations against Platner.\u201cOne of the reasons I didn\u2019t come forward sooner was, the huge moral conflict that I had between supporting his politics, but not supporting him as a person,\u201d she said to Politico. \u201cI just want the truth out there. I just want people to have a whole scope of who he is as a person.\u201dThe woman told POLITICO she connected with Platner on the dating app Bumble in 2019 and had consensual sex with him before the night he allegedly assaulted her. On that night in 2021, she described an \u201calmost blackout drunk\u201d Platner getting on top of her.\u201cI had been telling him these words, like: \u2018No, don\u2019t,\u2019\u201d she recalled to Politico. \u201cAnd, the look on his face and realizing what was happening, I just realized that, like, I am in a situation where there\u2019s no consent here,\u201d she said.Weeks after the alleged assault, Racicot said she \u201cstruggled with shock and confusion\u201d and did not file a police report. The outlet reviewed messages she sent to friends and spoke to partners who appeared to support her account.Platner denied the accusations, telling Politico: \u201cThese allegations are troubling, serious, and false.\u201d Minutes after the story was published, Platner took to social media.\u201cAny accusation of nonconsensual behavior is categorically false,\u201d he said in a two-minute video message. \u201cRegardless of the inaccuracy of the reporting, but mindful the political reality it will inflict, we are taking time to reflect on the best path forward\u2026\u201dMaine Democrats face a July 13 deadline to swap Platner for another Democrat to challenge incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins.\u201cThese allegations are appalling. Nevertheless, it is not up to me to choose the Democratic nominee for Senate,\u201d Sen. Collins said in response to the scandal.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":998,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1007","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news-2"],"yoast_head":"\nDems Ditch Platner Over Rape Claims - Blue Route Journal<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/?p=1007\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Dems Ditch Platner Over Rape Claims - Blue Route Journal\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Democrats nationwide have bailed on embattled Maine Senate Democratic candidate Graham Platner after a bombshell report accused the leftist oyster farmer of rape.\u00a0Politico interviewed 41-year-old Maine resident Jenny Racicot, who accused Platner of breaking into her house in 2021 and sexually assaulting her. In a one-two punch, CNN released an interview with Racicot, who described the alleged assault as rape.\u00a0Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) demanded that Platner drop out, calling the rape claims \u201cincredibly disturbing.\u201d Platner\u2019s decisive primary victory in June dealt a major blow to Schumer, who recruited and backed Maine Democratic Governor Janet Mills.\u00a0\u201cThe DSCC will not invest in the Maine Senate race if Platner remains on the ballot,\u201d Schumer said in a statement with fellow Sen. Kristen Gillibrand (D-NY).\u00a0Rep. Ro Khana (D-CA), who has previously defended and attached himself to Platner, also pulled the plug.\u00a0\u201cI\u2019ve been very clear that sexual assault or violence against women is a red line,\u201d Khanna said. \u201cThese allegations are very serious and credible. Graham Platner should drop out from the race. I am withdrawing my endorsement.\u201d\u00a0I\u2019ve been very clear that sexual assault or violence against women is a red line. These allegations are very serious and credible. Graham Platner should drop out from the race. I am withdrawing my endorsement.\u2014 Ro Khanna (@RoKhanna) July 6, 2026Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) also bailed on the Maine Democrat.\u00a0The allegations against Graham Platner are troubling and deeply serious.I am rescinding my endorsement.\u2014 Ruben Gallego (@RubenGallego) July 6, 2026Hasan Piker, the leftist streamer working overtime to elect socialist candidates, predicted the end of Platner\u2019s campaign.\u00a0\u201cThat is curtains. That is the trifecta. Okay, that is the trifecta of a reliable allegation. It\u2019s holy sh*t\u2026I believe this, this accusation. I believe this allegation,\u201d Piker said, according to Politico.\u00a0The Maine Democratic Party also called on Platner to drop out of the race against incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins.\u00a0As of Monday afternoon, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) has not publicly weighed in on the bombshell.\u00a0Previously, Sanders drew a line in the sand: \u201cI\u2019m going to do everything I can to make sure that Graham Platner is the next senator from the state of Maine,\u201d he said.\u00a0On the campaign trail, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) embraced Platner in endearing terms. \u201cThat\u2019s my kind of man,\u201d she said before Platner clinched the Democratic nomination. Now, she wants him gone.\u00a0\u201cWith so much at stake, the best path forward is for Graham Platner to step aside as the Democratic nominee and address these serious allegations outside this Senate race,\u201d Warren said in a statement Monday evening.The turmoil comes after Racicot told Politico she had an on-and-off relationship with Platner for more than two years before \u201che entered her rural Maine home uninvited\u201d in late 2021. She described Platner as \u201cdeeply intoxicated,\u201d claiming he forced himself on her despite repeatedly telling him to stop.\u00a0\u201cI remember him grabbing my pelvis and being really forceful of me,\u201d she said to Politico. \u201cI remember the specific moment where I thought to myself, like, \u2018This is no longer my choice.\u2019\u201d\u00a0Racicot said she felt compelled to come forward after other women raised allegations against Platner.\u201cOne of the reasons I didn\u2019t come forward sooner was, the huge moral conflict that I had between supporting his politics, but not supporting him as a person,\u201d she said to Politico. \u201cI just want the truth out there. I just want people to have a whole scope of who he is as a person.\u201dThe woman told POLITICO she connected with Platner on the dating app Bumble in 2019 and had consensual sex with him before the night he allegedly assaulted her. On that night in 2021, she described an \u201calmost blackout drunk\u201d Platner getting on top of her.\u201cI had been telling him these words, like: \u2018No, don\u2019t,\u2019\u201d she recalled to Politico. \u201cAnd, the look on his face and realizing what was happening, I just realized that, like, I am in a situation where there\u2019s no consent here,\u201d she said.Weeks after the alleged assault, Racicot said she \u201cstruggled with shock and confusion\u201d and did not file a police report. The outlet reviewed messages she sent to friends and spoke to partners who appeared to support her account.Platner denied the accusations, telling Politico: \u201cThese allegations are troubling, serious, and false.\u201d Minutes after the story was published, Platner took to social media.\u201cAny accusation of nonconsensual behavior is categorically false,\u201d he said in a two-minute video message. \u201cRegardless of the inaccuracy of the reporting, but mindful the political reality it will inflict, we are taking time to reflect on the best path forward\u2026\u201dMaine Democrats face a July 13 deadline to swap Platner for another Democrat to challenge incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins.\u201cThese allegations are appalling. Nevertheless, it is not up to me to choose the Democratic nominee for Senate,\u201d Sen. Collins said in response to the scandal.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/?p=1007\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Blue Route Journal\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-07-07T05:37:19+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blueroutejournal.com\\\/?p=1007#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blueroutejournal.com\\\/?p=1007\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"admin\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blueroutejournal.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/19da116f8d79cf8987781569801c6b7c\"},\"headline\":\"Dems Ditch Platner Over Rape Claims\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-07-07T05:37:19+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blueroutejournal.com\\\/?p=1007\"},\"wordCount\":872,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blueroutejournal.com\\\/?p=1007#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blueroutejournal.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/a91b66d343ff8297ef16b6e546ff2c5f.avif\",\"articleSection\":[\"News\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/blueroutejournal.com\\\/?p=1007#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blueroutejournal.com\\\/?p=1007\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blueroutejournal.com\\\/?p=1007\",\"name\":\"Dems Ditch Platner Over Rape Claims - 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Blue Route Journal","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/?p=1007","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Dems Ditch Platner Over Rape Claims - Blue Route Journal","og_description":"Democrats nationwide have bailed on embattled Maine Senate Democratic candidate Graham Platner after a bombshell report accused the leftist oyster farmer of rape.\u00a0Politico interviewed 41-year-old Maine resident Jenny Racicot, who accused Platner of breaking into her house in 2021 and sexually assaulting her. In a one-two punch, CNN released an interview with Racicot, who described the alleged assault as rape.\u00a0Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) demanded that Platner drop out, calling the rape claims \u201cincredibly disturbing.\u201d Platner\u2019s decisive primary victory in June dealt a major blow to Schumer, who recruited and backed Maine Democratic Governor Janet Mills.\u00a0\u201cThe DSCC will not invest in the Maine Senate race if Platner remains on the ballot,\u201d Schumer said in a statement with fellow Sen. Kristen Gillibrand (D-NY).\u00a0Rep. Ro Khana (D-CA), who has previously defended and attached himself to Platner, also pulled the plug.\u00a0\u201cI\u2019ve been very clear that sexual assault or violence against women is a red line,\u201d Khanna said. \u201cThese allegations are very serious and credible. Graham Platner should drop out from the race. I am withdrawing my endorsement.\u201d\u00a0I\u2019ve been very clear that sexual assault or violence against women is a red line. These allegations are very serious and credible. Graham Platner should drop out from the race. I am withdrawing my endorsement.\u2014 Ro Khanna (@RoKhanna) July 6, 2026Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) also bailed on the Maine Democrat.\u00a0The allegations against Graham Platner are troubling and deeply serious.I am rescinding my endorsement.\u2014 Ruben Gallego (@RubenGallego) July 6, 2026Hasan Piker, the leftist streamer working overtime to elect socialist candidates, predicted the end of Platner\u2019s campaign.\u00a0\u201cThat is curtains. That is the trifecta. Okay, that is the trifecta of a reliable allegation. It\u2019s holy sh*t\u2026I believe this, this accusation. I believe this allegation,\u201d Piker said, according to Politico.\u00a0The Maine Democratic Party also called on Platner to drop out of the race against incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins.\u00a0As of Monday afternoon, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) has not publicly weighed in on the bombshell.\u00a0Previously, Sanders drew a line in the sand: \u201cI\u2019m going to do everything I can to make sure that Graham Platner is the next senator from the state of Maine,\u201d he said.\u00a0On the campaign trail, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) embraced Platner in endearing terms. \u201cThat\u2019s my kind of man,\u201d she said before Platner clinched the Democratic nomination. Now, she wants him gone.\u00a0\u201cWith so much at stake, the best path forward is for Graham Platner to step aside as the Democratic nominee and address these serious allegations outside this Senate race,\u201d Warren said in a statement Monday evening.The turmoil comes after Racicot told Politico she had an on-and-off relationship with Platner for more than two years before \u201che entered her rural Maine home uninvited\u201d in late 2021. She described Platner as \u201cdeeply intoxicated,\u201d claiming he forced himself on her despite repeatedly telling him to stop.\u00a0\u201cI remember him grabbing my pelvis and being really forceful of me,\u201d she said to Politico. \u201cI remember the specific moment where I thought to myself, like, \u2018This is no longer my choice.\u2019\u201d\u00a0Racicot said she felt compelled to come forward after other women raised allegations against Platner.\u201cOne of the reasons I didn\u2019t come forward sooner was, the huge moral conflict that I had between supporting his politics, but not supporting him as a person,\u201d she said to Politico. \u201cI just want the truth out there. I just want people to have a whole scope of who he is as a person.\u201dThe woman told POLITICO she connected with Platner on the dating app Bumble in 2019 and had consensual sex with him before the night he allegedly assaulted her. On that night in 2021, she described an \u201calmost blackout drunk\u201d Platner getting on top of her.\u201cI had been telling him these words, like: \u2018No, don\u2019t,\u2019\u201d she recalled to Politico. \u201cAnd, the look on his face and realizing what was happening, I just realized that, like, I am in a situation where there\u2019s no consent here,\u201d she said.Weeks after the alleged assault, Racicot said she \u201cstruggled with shock and confusion\u201d and did not file a police report. The outlet reviewed messages she sent to friends and spoke to partners who appeared to support her account.Platner denied the accusations, telling Politico: \u201cThese allegations are troubling, serious, and false.\u201d Minutes after the story was published, Platner took to social media.\u201cAny accusation of nonconsensual behavior is categorically false,\u201d he said in a two-minute video message. \u201cRegardless of the inaccuracy of the reporting, but mindful the political reality it will inflict, we are taking time to reflect on the best path forward\u2026\u201dMaine Democrats face a July 13 deadline to swap Platner for another Democrat to challenge incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins.\u201cThese allegations are appalling. Nevertheless, it is not up to me to choose the Democratic nominee for Senate,\u201d Sen. Collins said in response to the scandal.","og_url":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/?p=1007","og_site_name":"Blue Route Journal","article_published_time":"2026-07-07T05:37:19+00:00","author":"admin","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"admin","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/?p=1007#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/?p=1007"},"author":{"name":"admin","@id":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/#\/schema\/person\/19da116f8d79cf8987781569801c6b7c"},"headline":"Dems Ditch Platner Over Rape Claims","datePublished":"2026-07-07T05:37:19+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/?p=1007"},"wordCount":872,"commentCount":0,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/?p=1007#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/a91b66d343ff8297ef16b6e546ff2c5f.avif","articleSection":["News"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/?p=1007#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/?p=1007","url":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/?p=1007","name":"Dems Ditch Platner Over Rape Claims - 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