'Now the Ball Is in the Court of the Democratic Establishment,' Platner Says as He Suspends Campaign

Graham Platner suspended his US Senate campaign in Maine late Wednesday in the wake of a sexual assault allegation, saying in a defiant video statement that the Democratic establishment used the accusation to force him from the race against five-term Republican Sen. Susan Collins.

Platner, who won last month's Democratic Senate primary in Maine following Gov. Janet Mills' exit from the race, said the sexual assault allegation was "very serious" and "false." But, he said, the "structural pressure" imposed by the "political establishment" and "corporate media system" made it impossible for him to continue campaigning in any serious way.

"We are going to lose our ability to fundraise," said Platner, whose campaign reportedly had under $100,000 in cash available to spend when he decided to halt his Senate bid. "We are going to lose our ability to access voter data. We are going to lose all of the things that any campaign needs on the basic level simply to function. Larger organizations, the national party, the bigger donor networks, they have all committed to spending no money in this race if I'm in it."

Platner said that "now the ball is in the court of the Democratic establishment," which he pushed to implement an "open, transparent, and democratic" process to choose his replacement. He said he would not try to "dictate to anyone" who the replacement should be.

"It needs to be reflecting the will and the values of the people that built this movement, the people that showed up on June 9th. People in DC need to stay in DC," said Platner. "Decisions should not be made in back rooms by people in places of political power. Party apparatchiks are not the ones to make these decisions. These decisions need to be made in the open by the people of this state."

Watch Platner's full remarks:

Shortly before Platner released his video message, the top officials at the Maine Democratic Party issued a statement announcing that the party on Wednesday had hosted "a meeting with over 100 state committee members who voted to hold a nominating convention to choose a new nominee."

"We will announce the full timeline, details for how the nomination process will move forward, information about how to participate, and requirements for candidates soon. We will keep the public informed throughout the process—transparency is of the utmost importance," said Maine Democrats' chair, vice chair, and executive director. "There is an unprecedented amount of energy and enthusiasm among Maine Democrats, driven in part by many of the dedicated volunteers and supporters who were inspired by Graham Platner’s campaign. We look forward to coming together and harnessing that energy around our new nominee as we work to defeat Susan Collins in November."

Bangor Daily News reported that the convention approved by the Maine Democratic Party's state committee "would include 500 delegates elected proportionally by county committees, along with the entire state committee." Some reports indicated that county caucuses would be held to elect delegates to attend the convention, but Maine Democratic officials have not yet disclosed full details.

Progressive strategist Andrew Feldman warned that it would be "extremely challenging to pick a new nominee through a convention, not an open caucus, and create the energy needed to win."

"Let's not kid ourselves," he added.

Several prominent Maine Democrats—including former state Senate President Troy Jackson, Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, and former Maine CDC director Nirav Shah—have expressed interest in replacing Platner.

Joseph Geevarghese, executive director of the national progressive advocacy group Our Revolution, said Platner "made the right decision to step aside" but added that "this is not the Democratic establishment's opening to hand-pick a replacement." The group, which rescinded its endorsement of Platner following the sexual assault allegation, is now backing Jackson—who performed best against Collins in new polling commissioned by Platner's campaign.

"Maine's progressives won the primary by a historic margin, on Medicare for All, on ending corporate money in politics, on ending forever wars. That result doesn't disappear because one candidate is gone," said Geevarghese. "That is why we are rallying behind Troy Jackson. He is a logger, a union leader, and former President of the Maine State Senate. He led Bernie Sanders' presidential campaigns in Maine twice."

"Maine Democrats have days, not weeks, to decide whether the convention reflects what voters already said on June 9, or whether the party hands this seat to an insider pick after just watching that lane lose," he added. "To the establishment: This is not your opening. The people who won this primary get to decide what comes next, not the party insiders who already lost it."