Top Democrats called on scandal-hit US Senate candidate Graham Platner to quit the race on Monday after a sexual assault allegation threatened to derail one of the party's best chances of flipping a Republican-held seat.
Politico reported that Jenny Racicot, a 41-year-old Maine resident who previously dated Platner - whose insurgent rise has drawn comparisons to President Donald Trump - accused him of forcing her to have sex in late 2021.
Platner, a Marine veteran, oysterman and political newcomer who won the state's Democratic primary last month, rejected the allegation.
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In a video message posted to X after the report was published, Platner called the allegations "troubling, serious and false."
"Regardless of the inaccuracy of the reporting, but mindful of the political reality it will inflict, we are taking the time to reflect on the best path forward for the state that I love, the people that I love, the movement I belong to, and the goal of defeating Susan Collins," said, referring to the Republican incumbent.
