Maine senate candidate asked to drop out of race over sexual assault allegation

Several prominent Democrats have called for Graham Platner, Maine's Democratic candidate for the US Senate, to drop out of the race after a woman he previously dated accused him of sexual assault.

The woman detailed the assault in a series of interviews with Politico, which were published on Monday.

Platner, a former combat marine and oyster farmer, denied the allegation, calling it "categorically false" but said he was "taking the time to reflect on the best path forward" in the race, which is pivotal to Democrats' chances of gaining control of the Senate.

His campaign has been rocked by multiple scandals, including the discovery of a tattoo on his chest resembling a Nazi symbol.

"Regardless of the inaccuracy of the reporting, but mindful the political reality it will inflict, we are taking the time to reflect on the best path forward for the state that I love, the people that I love, the movement I belong to and the goal of defeating Susan Collins," Platner said in a video statement on social media shortly after the story was published by Politico.

His campaign has since postponed several events that were scheduled for this week. The BBC has reached out to Platner's campaign for comment.

Platner is set to take on incumbent Republican Sen Susan Collins, who has beaten back political challenges for three decades in a state that no Republican has carried in a presidential election since 1988.

The race is one of several pivotal to Democrats eyeing a longshot bid to flip control of the chamber in the November midterms.

Jenny Racicot, 41, alleged in a series of interviews with Politico that after an on-and-off relationship with Platner for more than two years, he entered her home in Maine uninvited and sexually assaulted her. She said Platner allegedly appeared very intoxicated.

Racicot said she halted contact with Platner after telling him the encounter was not consensual.

She said she felt compelled to publicly speak of her experience because of the controversial reaction to a story published by the New York Times, in which several women alleged Platner mistreated them.

The report last month details the accounts of three former girlfriends who accused him erratic and angry behaviour. It was published just before the primary race in the state.

Racicot told Politico she was one of the women interviewed by the Times but did not want to go public with her specific claims because she did not want to be known as a rape victim.

Platner denied the allegations and refused to drop out of the race.

Following Monday's report detailing new allegations, some Democrats called on him to move aside ahead of the November election.

Donna Brazile, a political strategist and former leader of the Democratic National Committee, said on X: "It's time for Mr. Platner to step aside and be replaced by July 13th. Platner needs time to heal, focus on his family and well-being. Enough. Enough."

Fellow Democratic Reps Ruben Gallego and Ro Khanna also rescinded their support of his campaign.

Gallego called the allegations "troubling and deeply serious". Khanna called the report serious and credible, adding "Graham Platner should drop out from the race. I am withdrawing my endorsement".

Soon after, the Maine Democratic Party also called on him to step aside.

"Over the past several weeks, multiple women have made serious, credible allegations against Graham Platner. Today's statements take those allegations even further," a statement from the state's political party reads. "Maine Democratic Party leadership is calling on Graham Platner to withdraw as the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate."

Platner has faced a number of other controversies over his campaign.

There were reports about a tattoo on his chest resembling a Nazi symbol that sparked backlash. Then, online comments he made dismissing rape were unearthed, and stories that he was unfaithful to his wife were leaked to US news outlets.

Regarding the tattoo, Platner said he removed what appeared to resemble the "Totenkopf" - German for "death's head" - used by Nazi forces during World War Two. He said he got the tattoo in Croatia with his fellow Marines in 2007 while drinking.

Old Reddit posts showed Platner saying victims of sexual assault should "take some responsibility for themselves" and not get so intoxicated. After the posts were unearthed, Platner asked voters for forgiveness.

"Maine, I am asking you not to judge me for the worst thing I said on the internet, on my worst day 14 years ago, but who I am today and the kind of senator I promise to be," he said in an ad addressing the remarks.

And when the allegations that Platner had exchanged sexually explicit texts on a messaging app with women outside his marriage, he acknowledged they were true.

"At the beginning of our marriage, I made mistakes, and Amy held me accountable for them, and we worked through them, and the work that we did made our marriage significantly stronger, and who we are today is an incredibly faithful and happy married couple," Platner said in an interview on MS Now.