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Graham Platner, the Democratic nominee for U.S. senator in Maine, formally suspended his campaign on Wednesday night after he lost support from virtually every Democrat who had once backed him, following a series of rape and sexual abuse allegations against him.

Platner announced his decision in a video on social media.

“We believe that for the movement to continue it can’t be me — and for that reason we are suspending campaign operations,” Platner said.

The former Senate nominee struck a divisive tone in the video, refusing to take responsibility for what he called “false allegations” against him and instead blaming the Democratic Party for his having to leave the race.

The allegations “are being used by the political establishment to put structural pressure on us,” Platner claimed. “We live in a political system that is not built for normal people.”

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My name might be on the ballot right now, but that ballot line belongs to the people of Maine. pic.twitter.com/RKVyLU76tm— Graham Platner for Senate (@grahamformaine) July 9, 2026

My name might be on the ballot right now, but that ballot line belongs to the people of Maine. pic.twitter.com/RKVyLU76tm

Platner’s campaign advisers reportedly asked him to strike a more conciliatory tone. Platner clearly rejected that advice.

Platner, a former Marine and current oyster farmer in the state, launched his campaign for U.S. Senate in August 2025, aiming to unseat longtime Republican Sen. Susan Collins. His campaign focused on opposing oligarchy, tying Collins to billionaires and policies that empower them. The Democratic candidate also campaigned on issues like universal health care and workers’ rights, drawing the support of progressive voices like Vermont independent Sen. Bernie Sanders. Platner ended up winning his primary election in early June.

But Platner, who also once worked as a security contractor for Blackwater with the State Department in 2018, saw several controversies from his past creep forward during the past year. Among them was scrutiny over his tattoo of a Totenkopf, a symbol used by Nazi Germany. Platner claimed that he wasn’t aware of the........

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