Maine Democrat Graham Platner on Friday formally withdrew from his US Senate bid in a letter to state elections officials that signed off with an F-bomb.
Platner posted on X a picture of the letter, which did not share any immediate details about who he hoped would succeed him to face Republican incumbent Sen. Susan Collins in November.
The missive touted the 156,084 votes he had received in Maine’s Senate Democratic primary last month, suggesting that his more than 70-percentage-point win showed: “People are desperate for change.”
“Mainers voted for a new kind of politics,” the letter read. “One that is representative of people down here in the real world — not billionaires, oligarchs or the political establishment.”
“Mainers voted for Medicare for All; to ban billionaires from buying elections; and for an end to taxpayer-funded genocide and forever wars,” it also stated.
“F*ck ICE. Free Palestine. Up the Hearts,” it concluded.
Platner, 41, announced the suspension of his campaign on Wednesday after his ex-girlfriend Jenny Racicot accused him of entering her home without permission and raping her in 2021.
The Maine Democratic Party and others withdrew their support in the wake of Politico and CNN interviews with Racicot earlier this week. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee also said it would refuse to invest in Platner’s race if he remained on the ballot.
Platner would have remained the Senate Democratic nominee from Maine had he not withdrawn by July 13 at 5 p.m. Now, state party leaders have until July 27 to organize a nominating convention for a successor.
Maine’s Secretary of State’s Office confirmed that “a formal notice has been received” from Platner declaring that he has dropped out of the race.
So far, the crowded field of Democrats hoping to replace him on the ballot includes former Maine Senate President Troy Jackson, former public health official Nirav Shah, Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, Maine Beer Co. co-founder Dan Kleban, former Capitol Hill staffer Jordan Wood and social worker Paige Loud.
Democratic Maine state Rep. Valli Geiger has also expressed interest in being considered and claims Platner has encouraged her to run.
In a video statement on Wednesday, Platner had blamed “large forces,” “corporate media” and the “political establishment” for conspiring to tank his candidacy.
Here’s the latest on the bombshell sexual assault allegations which forced Graham Platner to drop out of Maine Senate race :
“This was the last week to try to get me off of the ballot. And that’s why this is occurring,” Platner said, calling for an “open, transparent and democratic” nominating process.
The planned convention is expected to comprise roughly 600 party delegates, of which 100 will be state committee members and 500 will be representatives picked proportionally by county committees.
He also said “people in DC need to stay in DC.”
The Marine combat veteran-turned-oyster farmer had also faced challenges after another former girlfriend, Lyndsey Fifield, alleged physical abuse during their relationship more than a decade ago.
One of his ex-campaign aides also revealed he had been sending sexual text messages to as many as six women who weren’t his wife around the time Platner announced his Senate bid in August 2025.
Offensive posts on Reddit forums were also unearthed that the candidate had made around a decade ago — including comments disparaging a Purple Heart veteran and scoffing at victims of sexual assault.
