Graham Platner has made his exit from Maine’s U.S. Senate race official, submitting the necessary paperwork to formally withdraw his candidacy on July 10.
The withdrawal comes in the wake of rape allegations leveled against Platner by a former romantic partner — accusations that he has denied.
In his written withdrawal notice, Platner reflected on what drove voters to support him in the first place. “People are desperate for change,” he wrote, pointing to that sentiment as the reason he secured the Democratic nomination.
With Platner now out of the race, Maine’s Democratic Party is under the clock to find a replacement. Party officials have until July 27 to select a new candidate to carry the Democratic banner in the Senate contest.
