The rape allegation against Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner in Maine is drawing attention due to the lack of reaction from leading progressive figures in US politics. Senators Bernie Sanders, Chris Murphy, and Chris Van Hollen have not joined calls for the candidate to withdraw from the race.
Maine resident Jenny Racicot, in interviews with Politico and CNN, accused Platner of forcing her into his home in 2021 and, while intoxicated, forcing her to have unprotected sex.
Progressive Senators Maintain Silence
Senators Sanders, Murphy, and Van Hollen, contacted by Fox News Digital, did not comment on these new allegations within the specified time. Sanders had previously continued to support the candidate despite harassment allegations from Platner's ex-girlfriend and reports that he sent sexually explicit messages to other women while married.
Speaking to NBC in June, Sanders said, 'There is a housing crisis. People can't afford healthcare, groceries, or to fill their gas tanks. I think we should focus a little more on the problems of working families than on Graham Platner's marriage.'
Murphy also defended the candidate after Platner's infidelity to his wife came to light, telling CBS News in May, 'Graham Platner is someone who has served his country, served his community; he made mistakes and he admitted it.'
Van Hollen, in a statement to Punchbowl News in April, pushed back against criticism of the candidate's Nazi-linked tattoo and controversial online posts, saying, 'He has said he regrets many things, and I believe people deserve second chances.'
Other Democrats React
In contrast, other prominent Democrats such as Senator Elizabeth Warren, Representative Ro Khanna, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, and Senator Sheldon Whitehouse withdrew their support for Platner following Racicot's allegations and called for him to drop out of the race.
Whitehouse had previously described the physical harassment allegations as 'nothing,' but on Tuesday, after the new rape accusation, he changed his position and announced he was withdrawing his support.
Past Scandals and Intra-Party Struggle
Platner's campaign had previously been rocked by a series of scandals, including a Nazi symbol tattoo, online posts in which he declared himself a communist and disparaged law enforcement and certain communities, and posts mocking a teenage girl's suicide.
Within the Democratic Party, Platner's rise is seen as part of a broader struggle over the party's future direction. Having defeated Governor Janet Mills, who was backed by the party establishment, in the Maine primary, Platner represents a populist and far-left political line.
