You will not recognise the name Jenny Racicot, a 41-year-old from Maine. But the fact we know it at all is a testament to her bravery. This week she came forward to describe the alleged sexual assault she claims she experienced at the hands of a man she knew. A man who walked into her house one night – when she had explicitly told him not to come over – and allegedly raped her. That man is now asking the voters of Maine to make him senator in one of the most hotly contested races of the US midterm elections.

Graham Platner is often called an “authentic” politician. He’s an oyster farmer. A Marine Corps veteran. A man who turned to politics later in life and sought to ruffle its establishment feathers. He’s a man now trying to unseat a Republican incumbent in a very Democrat-friendly state – Susan Collins has held the job for 30 years. Democrats see this as a way of getting her out.

Platner is described by his fans as a populist progressive – his platform focuses on housing affordability and universal healthcare, reducing the power of billionaires and pushing up the strength of the unions. When he first sought office, this........

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