Warren pulls support for Platner after new allegations

Senate Warren pulls support for Platner after new allegations Comments: by Helen Huiskes - 07/07/26 9:18 AM ET Comments: Link copied by Helen Huiskes - 07/07/26 9:18 AM ET Comments: Link copied

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Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), one of the more progressive Democratic senators who had backed Graham Platner in his bid to unseat Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), is calling for him to withdraw from the race in the wake of a new report alleging Platner sexually assaulted a woman he dated in 2021.

Warren, in a statement, suggested a new candidate was needed to challenge Collins but that “there can be no tolerance for sexual assault.”

“Now more than ever we need leaders in Washington who reflect our values,” Warren said. “There can be no tolerance for sexual assault. Working families are counting on Democrats to win the Senate election in Maine to unrig our economy and hold Donald Trump accountable. With so much at stake, the best path forward is for Graham Platner to step aside as the Democratic nominee and address these serious allegations outside this Senate race.”

Platner, an oyster farmer and political newcomer, has been a high-profile and controversial name in Democrats’ fight to win back the Senate. He has been dogged by other headlines about his past, including resurfaced online posts with brash language, the revelation of a tattoo he has since covered up that resembled a symbol used by Nazis, and, most recently, reporting that his wife, Amy Gertner, had discovered sexually explicit texts Platner had sent to other women during their marriage.

But many Democrats have still backed him as their best shot to flip the competitive Senate seat held by Collins. Warren announced she was endorsing him in March, saying “he has the grit to fight for what’s right on behalf of Maine’s working families.”

Platner has denied the most recent allegations.

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