Graham Platner officially suspended his campaign on Wednesday, marking a sudden and dramatic end to his bid for the Maine Senate seat. This decision follows a series of serious allegations regarding his past behavior, which prompted a wave of calls for him to withdraw from the race. The fallout from this situation has sparked an intense public confrontation between prominent members of the Democratic Party, specifically Sen. John Fetterman and Sen. Bernie Sanders, The Hill reported.
During an appearance on Fox News’s “Jesse Watters Primetime” on Wednesday, Fetterman directed heavy criticism toward Sen. Bernie Sanders for his previous endorsement and vocal support of the Platner campaign. “Bernie Sanders needs to apologize to the voters of Maine and to … everyone that donated to that train wreck of a campaign,” Fetterman stated.
He went even further by suggesting that this was part of a larger, recurring issue within the party’s progressive wing. “He keeps pushing these communists and these … awful anti-American people, so there’s plenty of those people that have to humble themselves. … Humble yourself and stop pushing … these kinds of people on people in my party,” Fetterman added.
The allegations against Platner have been the primary catalyst for his exit from the political arena
Jenny Racicot, who previously dated Platner, told reporters that he sexually assaulted her in 2021. According to her account, he entered her home while intoxicated and proceeded to have sex with her without her consent. Additionally, another former partner, Lyndsey Fifield, alleged that Platner removed his condom during sexual activity without her knowledge or agreement. While Platner has issued denials regarding these claims, the pressure became insurmountable as even his most steadfast allies began to distance themselves from his candidacy.
Before these specific sexual assault reports surfaced, Platner had already navigated a string of scandals that would have ended most campaigns. Reports had previously revealed that he possessed a tattoo featuring a symbol resembling a Nazi emblem. Furthermore, he had made disparaging remarks about sexual assault survivors, various racial groups, and law enforcement on Reddit.
Despite these red flags, many Democratic figures initially opted to stand by his campaign. Sanders, in particular, had previously pushed to keep the focus on Platner’s policy platform rather than his personal conduct. Last month, when asked about reports that Platner had sent inappropriate sexual messages to women who were not his wife, Sanders told CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, “I think it’s better for this country that we start focusing on the enormous crises facing working people, a corrupt political system, than spending so much time worrying about … the personal life of an individual.”
The shift in support happened quickly once the latest allegations were reported. Following the news on Monday, Sanders stated that he had spoken with Platner and recommended that he step aside for the good of the party.
Other prominent Democrats, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Sen. Chris Van Hollen, and Sen. Ruben Gallego, also pulled their endorsements. Senate Democratic leadership, including Sen. Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, who chairs the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, joined the chorus of voices calling for his withdrawal.
In an 11-minute video posted to social media on Wednesday night, Platner addressed his supporters and the public. He claimed that the allegations against him were “all false” and suggested that he was being forced out by the Democratic establishment and the media. He insisted that his departure was not a result of the claims made against him but rather due to the pressures exerted by those in power.
“We’re not doing it because of the allegations, we’re doing it because of the structures that are being taken away from us by those in power,” Platner said.
Published: Jul 9, 2026 04:45 pm