Andy Kim tells Graham Platner it’s time to go

U.S. Senator Andy Kim became the latest prominent Democrat to call for Graham Platner to end his campaign, saying allegations against the Maine Senate candidate have made it impossible for him to continue.

A woman who used to date Platner, Jenny Racicot, said he raped her five years ago.

“Graham Platner needs to end his campaign immediately. Ms Racicot’s claims are credible and severe; he should listen to the Mainers who have lost confidence and called for him to step aside.
said Kim.  “The people of Maine deserve a candidate that can focus completely on them and be a driver for change in a moment where ending a broken status quo is so important.”

Kim’s statement came one day after U.S. Senator Cory Booker also called on Platner to withdraw from the race, adding to the growing pressure from national Democratic leaders following allegations made by Racicot.

Democratic Party leaders in Maine and Washington, D.C., have pulled support for his bid to oust five-term Republican Susan Collins.

Platner, an oyster farmer and Marine veteran who served in Iraq, came out of nowhere to capture the Democratic nomination against the pick of party leaders, Gov. Janet Mills.  With high-profile endorsements from progressive Democrats like Bernie Sanders and a focus on economic populism, Platner’s rise in the polls forced Mills out of the race.

He has faced a series of scandals, including the revelation that he had a swastika tattoo.

The Maine Democrat denied Racicot’s claims yesterday, but hinted that he might reconsider his candidacy.

“Any accusation of non-consensual behavior is categorically false,” Platner said. “Regardless of the inaccuracy of the reporting but mindful of the political reality it will inflict, we’re taking the time to reflect on the best path forward.”

In 2018, Kim, then a first-time candidate challenging a two-term Republican congressman, called on the Democratic nominee for Burlington County freeholder, George Youngkin, to drop out of the race following allegations of trying to choke his former wife and stalking another woman.