Maine Democrats select Senate nominee after Platner exit

The Democratic Party in Maine is scrambling to replace its scandal-plagued U.S. Senate nominee, Graham Platner, who formally withdrew from the race last week following a sexual assault allegation. The abrupt collapse of his campaign has triggered a painful internal reckoning over candidate vetting and the political calculus of supporting unconventional outsiders.

Platner, an oyster farmer who won the Democratic primary, suspended his campaign on July 8 after Politico published an account from a former girlfriend, Jenny Racicot, who alleged he sexually assaulted her in 2021. Platner has denied the allegation. His exit came under intense pressure from party leaders and former allies, including the Maine Democratic Party, which had called for him to drop out. The allegation was the final blow in a campaign already marred by months of controversy, including reports of a tattoo resembling a Nazi symbol, offensive social media posts, and prior accusations from other former girlfriends describing a pattern of emotional abuse.

The fallout has exposed deep divisions and regret among prominent progressives who had endorsed Platner. Representative Ro Khanna of California publicly stated he...