Graham Platner suspends Senate campaign as Maine Democrats vie to replace him
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The jockeying has already begun among Democrats to become the new nominee to face GOP Sen. Susan Collins in the fall.
What to know today
- PLATNER STEPS ASIDE: Graham Platner announced today in a video that he will suspend his Senate campaign after an allegation of sexual assault pushed backers to withdraw their endorsements this week. Platner, whose campaign had already been hit with a barrage of scandals, lost the support of nearly all of his most prominent endorsers. He has said the allegation is false.
- MAINE RACE: The jockeying has already begun among Democrats to replace him as the nominee to face GOP Sen. Susan Collins in the fall.
- CONVENTION: In his video statement, Platner said the process to pick a new nominee should be "open, transparent and democratic." The Maine Democratic Party voted today to hold a nominating convention at a later date.
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Former Platner ally Troy Jackson launches campaign in Maine Democratic Senate race
Troy Jackson, a former state senator, officially launched his bid to take over the Democratic nomination in the Maine Senate race, less than an hour after Platner announced he was suspending his campaign.
"There is a powerful movement of working class people in the state of Maine, and millions more across America who are ready to send a progressive fighter to the Senate," Jackson wrote this evening on X.
"I’ve been fighting for that movement my whole life — and I’m sure as hell not backing down now, when this fight is needed most," he continued. "I’m in. And we’re going to defeat Susan Collins."
Jackson, who ran unsuccessfully in the Democratic primary for governor, filed paperwork yesterday to begin the process of replacing Platner. The state Democratic Party voted today to hold a nominating convention later.
While Jackson is a former ally of Platner, he said this afternoon that he did not want an endorsement from him.
"When it came down to a credible allegation of somebody that was sexually assaulted, that was the end. That was the bright-red line," Jackson said on NBC News' Meet the Press NOW.
Graham Platner drops out of Senate race, allowing Maine Democrats to replace him
Platner announced today that he’s ending his Senate campaign, capping a chaotic few days of uncertainty and Democratic infighting and leaving the party without a candidate in the vitally important Maine race this fall.
The announcement by the populist progressive came after a woman he dated accused him of sexual assault in 2021, causing his support to hemorrhage even among top Democratic allies, who rescinded their endorsements and called on him to drop out.
In a video message on X, Platner denied the allegation as “false” but said it has “placed an immense amount of weight” on him, as he has until only July 13 to decide whether to continue his candidacy. He said that if he continued, he’d lose his ability to raise money, access voter data or run a campaign.
“What comes next needs to come from the people, needs to come from the people of Maine,” he said. “It needs to be open, transparent and democratic. It needs to be reflecting the will and the values of the people that built this movement.”
Maine Democratic Party votes to hold a 'nominating convention' to replace Platner if he drops out
The Maine Democratic Party said in a statement on X that it has voted “to hold a nominating convention to choose a new nominee” if Platner were drop out of the Senate race.
“We will announce the full timeline, details for how the nomination process will move forward, information about how to participate, and requirements for candidates soon," the post read. "We will keep the public informed throughout the process — transparency is of the utmost importance."
The party held a meeting with "over 100 state committee members" who voted in favor of the convention, the post said.
Platner's campaign has been at odds with the state Democratic Party after it accused him last night of trying to intervene in its process to name a replacement for him as the Democratic nominee. Platner's team has denied the allegation.
Trump says he has 'no idea' how Mitch McConnell is doing
Trump said tonight that he has "no idea" how Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., is doing and has not spoken to the senator since his hospitalization.
"I have no idea," Trump told reporters on Air Force One. "I have no idea how he’s doing."
McConnell, 84, was hospitalized on June 14 after experiencing a medical emergency. His office has declined to give details, but NBC News reported that paramedics conducted CPR on a person experiencing a "cardiac arrest" at a known address of McConnell on that same day.
The pair have long shared a hostile relationship, especially after McConnell condemned Trump over the riot on Jan. 6, claiming the president "was responsible for provoking" the events of the day.
While McConnell did ultimately endorse Trump ahead of his second term in 2024, Trump has since attacked the senator for casting doubts on certain pieces of legislation, including McConnell's vote against imposing tariffs on Canada in April.
Trump addresses allegations against Platner, says 'he's gonna lose'
Trump responded to questions from reporters on Air Force One tonight about Platner's potential exit from the Maine Senate race, telling them Platner "is in a bind."
Asked whether Democrats should be able to pick a replacement, Trump said: "It's very hard for them to do. It's a question of whether or not you believe the woman."
"A lot of people say big falsehoods," Trump said. "He's in a bind, he's in a bind, but should they be able to do it? Well, I guess he's gonna lose. I would imagine he's gonna lose."
Trump then referred to Lyndsey Fifield, who alleged that Platner was physically aggressive with her when the pair dated, according to a report by The New York Times in early June. Fifield has worked for Republican campaigns and right-wing groups, including the Heritage Foundation.
"It's very interesting when a Republican woman came out with the same charge, nobody believed her," Trump said.
DSCC staffers are on the ground in Maine as state Democrats eye post-Platner next steps
Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee staff members are on the ground in Maine at the Portland state party headquarters as Democrats there figure out their next moves, according to two sources with direct knowledge of the situation.
Their presence has unnerved Platner allies and progressives who worry that the national party will take over the process and select its preferred candidate. Platner hasn’t yet said whether he’ll drop out, and he has never seen eye to eye with the DSCC, which initially endorsed his rival, Gov. Janet Mills, in the primary.
Asked to comment, the DSCC didn’t dispute that it’s on the ground in Maine but rejected the notion that it’s trying to control the process.
A DSCC spokesperson said: “This is false. The Maine Democratic Party has made it clear that they are working to put forth an open process to select a nominee. Graham Platner — who was credibly accused of rape — needs to drop out immediately so that Maine Democrats can begin the process of fielding a new candidate and focus on defeating Susan Collins.”
The DSCC added that it has said from the beginning that the process to select a new nominee should be left to Maine Democrats.
Maine Democratic Party accuses Graham Platner of meddling in the process to replace him
The Maine Democratic Party is accusing embattled Platner of trying to meddle in the process of picking a replacement candidate if he drops out of the race, a claim that Platner’s team swiftly disputed.
In a video statement last night, the Executive Director Devon Murphy-Anderson said the state party “has been working around the clock to develop a process to replace our U.S. Senate nominee that is open, inclusive, transparent and fair” after Platner signaled he may drop out.
Sofia Aldinio for NBC News
‘Grey’s Anatomy’ star Patrick Dempsey says he won’t run for Senate in Maine
While actor Patrick Dempsey saved a lot of lives on “Grey’s Anatomy,” he won’t be the McDreamy candidate to rescue Democrats in Maine if Platner drops out.
Dempsey, who played neurosurgeon Derek Shepherd on the long-running ABC medical drama, said today that he will not be throwing his hat into the ring for the Senate race after his name was one of many floated as potential replacements for Platner, the embattled Democratic nominee.
“I kept coming back to one question: Do I truly want to serve in Congress? After a lot of thought, I realized the answer is no,” Dempsey, a Maine native, wrote in an op-ed published by the Portland Press Herald.
Franco Origlia / Getty Images
The Platner vetting process that wasn’t
Defenders are abandoning ship, leaving Platner, the Maine progressive once seen as Democrats’ best shot at flipping a Senate seat, to fend for himself in yet another wave of scandal.
But where was the vetting? How did a candidate this flawed get this far?
“He was recruited by a more progressive consulting firm that ... did not do a very good job of vetting his entire background,” senior Capitol Hill correspondent Ryan Nobles said on yesterday's “Here’s the Scoop” podcast.
Sofia Aldinio for NBC News
Maine Democratic Party said it's 'frustrated with Graham Platner’s continued efforts to manipulate this process'
Maine Democratic Party Executive Director Devon Murphy-Anderson has put out another statement on X, saying, “While the Platner campaign remains focused on distracting from the job of defeating Susan Collins in November with false accusations against us, the Maine Democratic Party remains hyper focused on developing a representative, transparent and inclusive process to select a new nominee when he chooses to withdraw from the race.”
Trump says he'll ask the Supreme Court to reconsider his case against birthright citizenship
President Donald Trump said this evening that he will ask the Supreme Court to rehear his case seeking to limit birthright citizenship after it ruled against the administration last week.
Trump argued without evidence today that birthright citizenship, which is guaranteed by the 14th Amendment, was a "scam" that was being advertised at the U.S. southern border and in Mexico.
"Signs and Billboards are being put up all over our Southern Border, and Mexico, advertising BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP, with 'Deliveries starting at $4000,'" Trump wrote on Truth Social.
"Billions of Dollars will be illegally made by this SCAM, with Citizenship going to anyone willing to pay," he wrote, adding "AMERICAN CITIZENSHIP IS NOT FOR SALE!"
Trump said he will ask for a rehearing of his case "IMMEDIATELY" and called the Supreme Court's ruling "an absolutely insane decision."
The Supreme Court can decide to rehear a case, but it is exceedingly rare. The last time it agreed to rehear a case on the merits was in 1965.
A petition for rehearing must typically be filed within 25 days after the judgment or decision, according to Supreme Court rules.
The petition is not subject to oral argument and must be agreed upon by a majority of the court. Justices who concurred in the case's decision — in this case, Chief Justice Roberts and Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, Ketanji Brown Jackson and Amy Coney Barrett, and potentially Brett Kavanaugh — are able to call for a vote on rehearing.
Another Maine candidate throws his hat in the ring
Dan Kleban, the founder of Maine Beer Co., said in an email to supporters that he’s throwing his hat into the ring to replace Platner if and when he announces he is dropping out of the race. Kleban was briefly a candidate in the primary before he dropped out and endorsed Mills.
Brianna Soukup / Portland Press Herald via Getty Images file
“Over the next two weeks, we need an open, transparent process to select our nominee,” he writes, “I’m ready to fight for Mainers and bring a new generation of leadership to Washington. I believe I can unite our party and finally defeat Susan Collins in November.”
Platner campaign denies he told a Maine state representative he wants her to replace him
A spokesperson for the Platner campaign denied a report that Platner told state Rep. Valli Geiger that he wanted her to replace him as the Democratic nominee for the Senate.
Geiger told WMTW-TV of Portland that she had a phone call with Platner in which he expressed his support. His campaign rejected the characterization that he was endorsing her as the future nominee.
“He’s not made any decision on endorsing, the campaign spokesperson said in a statement. “Graham called Valli to thank her for her support and encouraged her to consider running if he stepped down.”
Potential replacement for Platner says he doesn't want his endorsement
Former Maine state Sen. Troy Jackson, a potential candidate to replace Platner, said he wouldn't accept Platner's endorsement for the Democratic Senate nomination if it were offered.
"I don't want it, and it's unfortunate, but I just don't want it," Jackson said today on NBC News' Meet the Press NOW.
Jackson said he expected Platner to drop out soon.
"It's clear that he has to drop out, and the sooner the better, so we can pick up the pieces and go forward with the movement that's gotten so strong here in Maine," Jackson said.
Jackson, who recently ran an unsuccessful campaign for governor, has filed paperwork to explore replacing Platner on the ballot.
In his interview, Jackson, a progressive, touted his experience winning in more conservative parts of the state.
"I'm the only candidate that's demonstrated that I can win statewide with conservative Republicans and urban young people that are much more liberal," Jackson said.
If Platner drops out, Maine Democrats have roughly two weeks to select a replacement to face Republican Sen. Susan Collins in November. Jackson called for a statewide convention to select a successor to Platner.
Inside Michigan’s slugfest of a Senate primary
There may be no nastier personality clash in this year’s midterm elections than the one that has erupted out of Michigan’s Democratic Senate primary.
Rep. Haley Stevens paints her rival, former public health official Abdul El-Sayed, as a sexist podcast bro who is light on substance. El-Sayed, meanwhile, frames Stevens as a creature of the establishment who is unable to think for herself.
Haley Stevens and Abdul El-Sayed. CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images; AP file
Democratic hopes to win back the Senate hang by a thread as Platner weighs dropping out
Platner’s candidacy for one of Maine’s Senate seats is crumbling — and Democratic hopes to win the Senate majority may be going down with it.
Anger is ripping through the party as Democrats worry that even if Platner does withdraw, it may be too late to rebuild and defeat Collins, who has long defied Democratic attempts to oust her. The controversy has also deepened divisions between various factions of the party, with moderate and establishment-aligned Democrats using the moment to slam the left for elevating a deeply flawed candidate.
Sophie Park / Bloomberg via Getty Images file
Platner campaign takes aim at Maine Democratic Party in text to supporters
Platner’s campaign manager, Ben Chin, just sent this text to supporters — provided to NBC News by a source — taking aim at the Maine Democratic Party as he contemplates whether to drop out of the race.
“We firmly believe that the supporters and volunteers who built this movement deserve to have a real role in any nomination process," the text said. "If the Maine Democratic Party hopes to harness our movement, and avoid disillusioning the hundreds of thousands of supporters who came into the fray because of our movement’s policies, it must consult the feedback and proposals of the people who built and sustained this.”
Platner campaign says the candidate will address his status later today
Senior leadership from Platner's campaign held an all-hands call today with their staff members to update them on the situation with Platner’s future, according to a source on the call.
The senior campaign official leading the call told staff members that they did not believe the allegations against Platner were true but said they also understand the reality of the political situation and are considering their options moving forward.
The official said Platner would speak later today, but according to the source on the call, it appeared that the official was referring to Platner’s addressing the staff on the call, not the general public; however,but that was not abundantly clear. The campaign leadership did not explicitly say Platner was preparing to end his campaign.
Who could replace Graham Platner as Maine’s Democratic Senate nominee?
Platner has said he is weighing whether to continue his campaign after an explosive sexual assault allegation reported by Politico and CNN this week. But Democrats are already considering more than a half-dozen potential replacements for him in the pivotal battleground.
They include Platner’s onetime rivals, current and former state lawmakers and even the party’s 2020 Senate nominee, among others.
Under Maine law, Platner must drop out by 5 p.m. Monday for state Democrats to be able to replace him on the ballot. Maine Democrats, should he do so, would be likely to hold a mini-convention to choose a new candidate, a person close to the process said Monday.
From left, Troy Jackson, Graham Platner and Nirav Shah. Bloomberg; AP; USA Today Network
Platner weighs his future after new allegations surface
Platner is weighing his future in Maine's Senate race nearly 48 hours after a new sexual assault allegation was made against him, which prompted top Democrats to demand that he withdraw his candidacy.
Soon after Politico reported Monday that a Maine woman whom Platner once dated said he sexually assaulted her, he said in a video statement that he was considering the "best path forward." CNN also aired an interview with Platner's accuser, Jenny Racicot, 41, who alleges that in 2021, he forced himself on her at her home when he showed up unannounced and drunk. Platner denied the allegation.
Numerous Democrats called on Platner to exit the race, including his top backers like Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., but he has not made any public announcements since Monday. Several possible candidates have already begun preparing to enter the race in the meantime.
Last night, the Maine Democratic Party accused Platner and his team of trying to "put their thumb on the scale of what this process looks like" if he were to drop out. A Platner campaign official, however, told NBC News: “The Platner campaign has reached out to the party to try and understand what this process would look like. At no point has the campaign tried to ‘put its finger on the scale.’”
Maine law allows Platner to drop out by Monday, which would allow the state party to select a replacement by July 27.
