US news

Tuesday, July 7, 2026, 9:29 am

Graham Platner spoke to a crowd.

In brief:

Graham Platner, a Democrat, has been accused of sexual assault by an ex-partner.

Mr. Platner denies this, but he has canceled some events.

What's next?

Mr. Platner could be replaced as the Democrat candidate if he quits by July 13.

A woman said Mr. Platner forced her to have sex after she said no.

Mr. Platner denied this and is thinking about what to do next.

He said, 'We're taking time to think about the best path forward.'

Jenny Racicot said Mr. Platner entered her home drunk and assaulted her in 2021.

Ms. Racicot had a relationship with Mr. Platner, but she stopped talking to him after that.

Mr. Platner's team did not respond to messages.

Mr. Platner said, 'Any claim of non-consensual behavior is false.'

The allegation made many people stop supporting Mr. Platner.

Two important Democrats said they won't support Mr. Platner if he stays in the race.

Ro Khanna, a Democrat, was a strong supporter of Mr. Platner, but now he's not.

Mr. Khanna said, 'Sexual assault is a red line for me.'

Another senator and a political group also stopped supporting Mr. Platner.

A commentator who supported Mr. Platner is now changing his mind.

Some people say Democrats are pretending to be Republicans and vice versa.

The commentator said, 'If there's new evidence, I'll change my mind.'

Maine's Democratic Party leaders want Mr. Platner to quit.

They said, 'Many women have made serious allegations against Mr. Platner.'

The leaders think the campaign should focus on important issues.

The race is now in chaos.

Mr. Platner won the Democratic primary in Maine, but he's controversial.

Maine Democrats want to defeat Republican Senator Susan Collins.

Senator Collins has held her seat despite being in a Democratic state.

Some Democrats didn't want to challenge Senator Collins, so Mr. Platner stepped in.

Mr. Platner presented himself as a working-class veteran who could reach Trump voters.

But Mr. Platner has been involved in controversies, including a Nazi symbol tattoo.

Some Democrats refused to support Mr. Platner, including the governor.

There's talk about replacing Mr. Platner with other candidates.

A Democrat in Maine said, 'I knew this was coming.'

Maine is an important state for Democrats to win.

If Mr. Platner quits by July 13, he can be replaced.

A new candidate must be named by July 27.

AP/ABC

Tuesday, July 7, 2026, 9:29 am

Tuesday, July 7, 2026, 10:04 am

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