Democrats were counting on Graham Platner’s campaign to carve a new path for the party in the midterms, helping flip the Senate and lead them out of the wilderness and into the future. Instead, Platner’s candidacy has pushed Democrats toward chaos, confusion and disappointment. The Maine oyster farmer’s Senate bid is teetering on collapse after nearly all of his allies withdrew support and called for him to drop out following POLITICO’s exclusive reporting on allegations of sexual assault from a woman who dated Platner who said he forced her to have sex with him. Platner called the allegations “troubling” and “serious,” but firmly denied them, while acknowledging he’s taking time to evaluate his candidacy amid a new “political reality.” Platner’s insurgent campaign to oust longtime GOP Sen. Susan Collins has been marred by scandal since the beginning, forcing him to explain and apologize for a litany of indiscretions including a tattoo resembling a Nazi symbol (for which he expressed regret and covered up), a series of offensive online posts (for which he expressed regret and sought to explain), relationship infidelity and a NYT report in which several women who dated him said he exhibited “unsettling” behavior (for which Platner said he was “far from perfect boyfriend” during a “very dark period of my life.”). One of those women, Jenny Racicot, told the Times Platner came to her home drunk and unannounced and acted “reckless.” She later told POLITICO he forced himself on her while she repeatedly told him to stop. Democrats largely stood by Platner amid that stretch of scandals. But in the hours since POLITICO reported Racicot’s allegations, a cascade of elected Democrats — from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a longtime skeptic, to NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani, with whom Platner shares a key political adviser — have called for him to back out of the race. Today, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) — who ardently supported Platner in the wake of his past scandals — said he called him and told him to “step aside.” The path for Platner to press on appears all but closed. The DSCC said it would not spend any money in Maine as long as Platner’s in the race — a critical contest for the party’s hopes of retaking the Senate. His campaign hasn’t commented since he posted a direct-to-camera video yesterday addressing the allegations, but it stopped running ads on Facebook and Instagram, per the NYT. The question now is who might replace him. The Maine Democratic Party can install a new candidate if Platner drops out before Monday and must select that person by July 27. And the jockeying has already begun, particularly among the gubernatorial candidates who lost the state’s Democratic primary last month, POLITICO’s Andrew Howard and colleagues report from Brunswick. Former Maine Senate President Troy Jackson filed paperwork exploring a run to replace him this morning. Nirav Shah said he was “evaluating” a bid. Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, who also ran for governor, has been fielding calls. So have former Senate candidates Dan Kleban and Jordan Wood, according to people familiar with their private conversations. Spokespeople did not immediately respond to requests for comment. But publicly, the crop of could-be candidates aren’t saying much — yet. “I’m not prepared to talk right now,” Maine state Rep. Valli Geiger, a progressive Platner ally, told POLITICO when reached by phone this morning. Good Tuesday afternoon. Thanks for reading Playbook PM. Drop me a line at isentner@politico.com.
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