Progressive Senate Alliance IMPLODES After Rape Allegation Rocks Democrat Darling

Liberty Check

• Democrat Senate candidate Graham Platner faces credible rape allegations but refuses to immediately drop out
• Progressive allies turned on him only after media pressure — stayed silent through previous abuse scandals
• Sen. Susan Collins stays focused on Maine while Democrats scramble before nomination deadline

Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner built his campaign on progressive solidarity and coalition-building. Now that coalition is fracturing in spectacular fashion.

Platner’s challenge to Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, was thrown into chaos Monday after Politico reported a credible rape allegation from an ex-girlfriend. Within hours, progressive Senate candidates across the country who had stood by him through previous scandals suddenly demanded his exit.

“The credible allegations against Graham Platner cannot be ignored — he should withdraw from the race immediately,” Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico said in a statement.

Talarico joined a growing list of progressive Senate hopefuls calling for Platner to drop out: Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan, former Rep. Mary Peltola in Alaska, former Sen. Sherrod Brown in Ohio, and Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan all issued similar demands.

“Credible allegations of sexual assault cannot be ignored,” El-Sayed said. “Voters in Maine deserve a choice for U.S. Senate that doesn’t force them to make a moral compromise between sexual violence or corporate servitude.”

But here’s the glaring problem: this is the first time any of these progressive candidates have publicly condemned Platner, despite a string of troubling allegations that emerged well before this bombshell.

In June, The New York Times reported that Platner exhibited “unsettling” behavior with women that often involved alcohol and alleged intimidation. His progressive allies stayed conspicuously silent then.

None of the campaigns responded to Fox News Digital’s questions about why they chose to break with Platner now instead of after the earlier abuse allegations surfaced.

Meanwhile, Platner remains in the race despite mounting pressure. In a video statement released shortly after the Politico report, he dismissed the rape allegation while acknowledging its political impact.

“Regardless of the inaccuracy of the reporting, but mindful of the political reality it will inflict, we are taking the time to reflect on the best path forward for the state that I love, the people that I love, the movement I belong to and the goal of defeating Susan Collins,” he said.

The deadline for Platner to withdraw is July 13. If he drops out by then, the Maine Democratic Party — which has also disavowed his campaign — has until July 27 to nominate a replacement.

Democrats desperately wanted this seat as part of their strategy to reclaim the Senate. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., viewed defeating Collins as critical to that goal.

Collins, for her part, has maintained her distance from the Democratic implosion while staying focused on serving Maine voters.

“These allegations are appalling,” Collins said in a statement. “Nevertheless, it is not up to me to choose the Democratic nominee for Senate.”

Americans deserve better.