Former Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Graham Platner, who was constantly embroiled in scandals during his campaign, is scheduled to make his return to the public arena by appearing at a rally that is scheduled for September 2026 in Ellsworth. Platner dropped from the Senate race in July after a former girlfriend came forward and accused him of sexual assault, an allegation Platner has vehemently denied.
The embattled former candidate will be speaking at a Labor Day rally at Ellsworth City Hall that is being hosted by the Hancock County Democrats. Platner is expected to deliver a speech about the history of unions. In June, Platner destroyed the competition in the Democratic Party primary, taking the nomination, despite several early controversies, including other allegations of sexual assault.
Two women who have accused Platner of sexual misconduct have come forward and offered a response to his planned return to the public square. Jenny Racicot, one of Platner’s ex-girlfriends who accused him of sexual assault, is one of those speaking out. The other is, you guessed it, another ex-girlfriend, Lyndsey Fifield, who alleges that Platner physically abused her.
According to a report from KFOX, the women put out a joint statement denouncing Platner’s decision to return to the public stage. “In the weeks since we spoke out, Graham Platner has had every opportunity to take accountability for the pain he has caused. Instead, he has continued to double down, discrediting us and telling blatant lies about his past. And now, he’s trying to sweep the truth under the rug and pretend things are back to normal,” they said.
During his campaign for Senate, Platner was endorsed by a number of Democrats, despite his troubled past, including Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), a self-proclaimed Democratic socialist. Platner was challenging longtime Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) in an expensive race that would play a significant role in determining which party would gain control of Congress following the midterm elections.
In a video announcing his departure from the race posted on social media, Platner, looking visibly irritated, said, “For the movement to continue, it can’t be me. For that reason, we are suspending campaign operations. This is all false. The things that have been claimed did not happen. It is not real.” The Maine Democrat, who positioned himself as an outsider fighting against the party establishment, blamed the political class for his troubles, arguing, “the brutal political reality is they are going to take everything away from us.”
He then said that if he continued his campaign, he’d lose the ability to raise money and would not have access to critical voter data that is essential for a successful campaign. “Those in power who have the ability to do so are using these allegations as an excuse to take away all the things that we need to run a campaign,” he said in the video, according to Fox News. Platner also faced criticism for previously having a Nazi symbol tattoo, though he later had it covered up.
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Featured Image: screenshot from embedded video