Graham Platner ends U.S. Senate campaign in Maine [View all]
Source: Washington Post
July 8, 2026 at 8:14 p.m. EDT
Graham Platner, the populist political newcomer who Democrats had hoped could flip a critical U.S. Senate seat in Maine, ended his campaign Wednesday night after a woman he previously dated publicly accused him of sexual assault.
“We believe for the movement to continue, it can’t be me and for that reason, we are suspending campaign operations,” Platner said Wednesday night.
The development, a month after Platner won the Democratic nomination to take on Republican Sen. Susan Collins, injects fresh chaos into Democrats’ uphill battle to retake the Senate in November. Democrats need to win four seats held by Republicans, and hold their own, to win control of the chamber.
Democratic Party leaders have until July 27 to decide on a new standard-bearer in one of the marquee races of the midterm elections, as Collins tries to hold on for a sixth term representing a state that Democrat Kamala Harris won by 7 percentage points in 2024.
Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/07/08/graham-platner-ends-us-senate-campaign-maine/
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