Platner Withdraws Amid Assault Allegations | Montpelier News

Graham Platner, Maine’s Democratic Senate hopeful and oyster farmer, has dropped out after fresh allegations of sexual assault emerged — claims he denies but says he’s stepping aside to honor the movement he represents. The Maine Democratic Party is now rushing to hold a nominating convention to pick his replacement, with state reps like Valli Geiger already encouraged to run. Platner, who won the primary with over 156,000 votes, faced mounting pressure from party leaders including Bernie Sanders following a report by Jenny Racicot, who alleges a non-consensual assault in late 2021. His exit follows a history of controversy, including deleted Reddit posts and a Marine-era tattoo resembling a Nazi symbol — which he insists was from a drunken moment and never meant to be offensive. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/febab4550160500b