Sen. Bernie Sanders has called on Graham Platner to withdraw from Maine’s U.S. Senate race following a sexual assault allegation that Platner strongly denies, delivering one of the most damaging blows yet to the Democratic nominee’s increasingly isolated campaign.
Sanders was among Platner’s earliest, most influential and highest-profile national supporters. His endorsement helped strengthen Platner’s image as an anti-establishment progressive capable of challenging both Republican Sen. Susan Collins and the Democratic Party’s traditional leadership.
But Sanders said Tuesday that the seriousness of the allegation had changed his position.
“I have spoken with Graham Platner about the best path forward for Maine,” Sanders said in a statement. “In light of these very serious allegations, I have recommended that he step aside.”
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The allegation was first reported by Politico. A woman who previously dated Platner accused him of forcing her to have sex in 2021 despite her objections. Platner has categorically denied any nonconsensual conduct and described the allegation as false.
He has not yet announced whether he will remain in the race, saying instead that he is taking time to consider the best path forward for Maine, his supporters and the broader effort to defeat Collins.
Sanders’ decision places him alongside a rapidly expanding group of Democratic officials who have called on Platner to withdraw. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer and Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Chair Kirsten Gillibrand said the allegations were deeply disturbing and warned that the party’s Senate campaign organization would not invest in Maine if Platner remained the nominee.
The Maine Democratic Party has also urged him to step aside. Other politicians who previously supported Platner, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Rep. Ro Khanna and Sen. Ruben Gallego, have withdrawn their endorsements or publicly called for the campaign to end.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, another prominent figure on the progressive left, said withdrawing was the only appropriate response to the allegation.
The loss of Sanders may prove especially consequential. Platner entered the race as a relatively unknown oyster farmer and Marine Corps veteran but built a powerful grassroots campaign around working-class economic issues, healthcare and opposition to corporate influence. Sanders’ backing gave that campaign national progressive credibility and helped distinguish Platner from candidates supported by Democratic leadership.
Platner went on to win the Democratic nomination and was expected to give Collins one of the most serious challenges of her political career. Maine remains one of the relatively few states where Democrats believe they have a realistic opportunity to defeat a sitting Republican senator in November.
That opportunity is now in jeopardy. Republicans hold a 53–47 Senate majority, meaning Democrats have little room to lose competitive races if they hope to regain control of the chamber. Collins also enters the general-election campaign with a substantial fundraising advantage and support from well-funded Republican groups.
Maine law gives Democrats only a limited period to replace Platner through the ordinary vacancy process. He must withdraw by 5 p.m. on July 13. The state Democratic Party would then have until July 27 to select another nominee for the November ballot.
Platner cannot simply be removed by national Democratic leaders. Unless he voluntarily withdraws before the deadline, he could remain the nominee despite losing endorsements and financial support from the party.
That leaves Democrats confronting two risks. Keeping Platner could make the race substantially harder to win and force candidates nationwide to answer questions about the allegation. Replacing him without another statewide primary could anger voters who supported his progressive campaign and create accusations that party officials overturned the primary result.
Why It Matters
Sanders’ withdrawal of support matters because he was not merely another endorsement. He was Platner’s most important national ally and a central source of credibility among progressive voters. His call for Platner to step aside suggests that the nominee’s political support has collapsed across both the Democratic establishment and much of the party’s progressive wing.
The crisis also threatens one of the party’s clearest opportunities to gain a Senate seat. Any delay leaves a possible replacement with less time to raise money, organize statewide and compete against an established Republican incumbent.
What Comes Next
Platner must decide whether to remain in the race or withdraw before Maine’s July 13 deadline. If he exits, Democratic officials will have only two weeks to choose a replacement and begin rebuilding the campaign against Collins. If he stays, he could face the general election without national party funding and with many of his former allies publicly opposing his candidacy.
Bernie Sanders said he advised Graham Platner to step aside after discussing the allegations and the future of the Maine Senate race.
NOTUS: Senator Bernie Sanders called Graham Platner and recommended he withdraw from the Maine Senate race
Bernie Sanders: “I have spoken with Graham Platner about the best path forward for Maine. In light of these very serious allegations, I have recommended that he step… pic.twitter.com/j63udmd1SQ
— Politics & Poll Tracker 📡 (@PollTracker2024) July 7, 2026
