Graham Platner’s congressional fan club is ready to move on.
The Maine oysterman’s already scandal-ridden campaign was hit Monday by new allegations reported by POLITICO that he forced a woman he dated, Jenny Racicot, to have sex with him in 2021 — a claim Platner denies.
Now a wave of Democrats across the ideological spectrum is calling on the progressive to step aside while already circulating names to replace him. Those bailing include his — now former — staunchest defenders on Capitol Hill, along with party leaders who had warily gotten behind him after their preferred candidate, Gov. Janet Mills, suspended her campaign.
The cascade of opposition spotlights a party deeply anxious about their path ahead in Maine, where unseating GOP Sen. Susan Collins is critical to Democrats’ effort to win control of the chamber.
Democrats can still replace Platner on the ballot, but only if he chooses to drop out before the July 13 deadline outlined in Maine law. If he were to exit the race, the state Democratic Party would have to pick his replacement by July 27.
That tight timeline would set up a scramble potentially pitting factions of the party against each other.
Rep. Ro Khanna, who joined Platner on the campaign trail several times, Monday night endorsed a former Democratic gubernatorial candidate Troy Jackson, who had previously won the backing of Sen. Bernie Sanders. Khanna said Jackson was “someone who has spent his life standing up for these progressive values.”
Sanders himself, who had backed Platner, has yet to comment publicly on the allegations.
A progressive-aligned PAC also weighed in, calling for Maine’s Democratic Party to honor primary voters’ wishes and “not allow crusty insiders like Chuck Schumer an establishment do-over.”
“A small caucus of party insiders cannot be trusted to nominate the shake-up-the-system outsider this moment calls for,” Progressive Change Campaign Committee co-founder Adam Green said in a statement.
Meanwhile, Schumer and Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Chair Kirsten Gillibrand called for Platner’s immediate withdrawal, saying the DSCC “will not invest in the Maine Senate race” if he remains on the ballot. Schumer had previously backed Mills.
Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Martin Heinrich, previously two of Platner’s biggest supporters, also joined in calling for him to step down, while Sen. Ruben Gallego, another former Platner fan, rescinded his endorsement.
Apart from Jackson, Secretary of State Shenna Bellows and former public health official Nirav Shah are taking calls about replacing Platner, according to three people familiar with those conversations, granted anonymity to discuss sensitive discussions.
A spokesperson for Platner did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the candidate’s loss of lawmakers’ support.
Platner has not said that he would suspend his campaign. In a video statement posted minutes after POLITICO’s report, Platner said he is “taking the time to reflect on the best path forward” for his candidacy.
What else we’re watching:
— MEET THE NEXT LIKELY CBC CHAIR: Rep. Troy Carter has a front row seat to Republican redistricting in Louisiana, is a self-proclaimed “close ally” of potential speaker Hakeem Jeffries and is currently the Congressional Black Caucus’ vice chair. CBC members say that makes him their ideal next leader. Several members, including Chair Yvette Clarke and No. 3 Lucy McBath, said in interviews they view Carter as a strong — if not singular — contender to chair the caucus next term.
— HILL STAFFER GROUP DEMANDS MISCONDUCT ACCOUNTABILITY: A 1,500-strong group of Capitol Hill staff members is calling on congressional panels to take steps to better hold accountable denizens of the campus accused of misconduct. The Congressional Progressive Staff Association is asking House Administration and Senate Rules and Administration to enact a series of recommendations after two House members — Eric Swalwell and Tony Gonzales — became the latest lawmakers to resign over sexual misconduct accusations against them.
Riley Rogerson and Hailey Fuchs contributed to this report.
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