Scandal-plagued Graham Platner has formally withdrawn from Maine’s Senate primary with a final word of “F*ck ICE” and “Free Palestine,” leaving a vacancy in the state’s highly anticipated race as Democrats scramble to find a replacement.
“I write to formally withdraw my candidacy from United States Senate,” Platner began in his formal statement.
Platner claimed that Mainers — by nominating him in the state’s Democrat Primary — voted for “Medicare for All; to ban billionaires from buying elections; and for an end to taxpayer-funded genocide and forever wars.”
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“They voted for time and dignity; for strong unions and jobs they can raise families on; for the hope of buying a home; for the chance to retire with grace,” he continued, asserting Americans are “desperate for change.”
“People are desperate for change. For this broke system to be righted. For the American experiment to be furthered. Over the past eleven months, thousands and thousands of Mainers poured their hearts, time, and talent into a movement to deliver that vision,” he wrote, offering his gratitude.
“And in submitting this letter today, I seek to further the movement we have built together and the future we believe in,” he said, adding that this notice serves as his “official withdrawal from consideration for this office.”
He ended his letter with another declaration: “F*ck ICE. Free Palestine. Up the Hearts.”
Platner’s departure follows a long series of allegations top Democrats routinely ignored as they continued their support of him. Such scandals included his Nazi tattoo as well as bragging about masturbating in public porta-potties, mocking a Purple Heart recipient as a “dumb motherfucker didn’t deserve to live,” smearing rural Maine populations as racist, blaming sexual assault victims for being sexually assaulted, sending explicit sexts to a half-dozen women in 2023 while married, and more.
However, the final nail in the coffin came last week after a woman accused him of breaking into her home and raping her — allegations he still denies. Despite that, top Democrats finally withdrew their support of Platner and called him to drop out of the race.
The Maine Democratic Party said the process is underway to replace Platner in the race to challenge five-time incumbent Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME).
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“As you all know, we have been absolutely committed to transparency. So even though it is incredibly late at night, I am coming to you live on the ground from the Maine Dems headquarters,” Maine Democratic Party Executive Director Devon Murphy-Anderson said in a video statement late Thursday, announcing that the process for U.S. Senate candidates “is now live.”
“Candidates now have the ability to submit their declaration of intent and begin engaging Maine Democrats in earnest by earning their support and collecting signatures,” she said. “We are fully committed to transparency, so we are making those candidate rules available to everyone, and you can read them at mainedems.org.”
“We are continuing to race towards the release of our fair and inclusive process to select a new U.S. Senate nominee, and we are not leaving this office until that process is in the hands of you, the people,” she declared.
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