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2026 Election

Platner’s Last Pillar of Support Falls as Sanders Says: Drop Out

The Vermont independent was one of the first major politicians to endorse Platner just days after he entered the race last year.

Graham Platner, Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, and Sen. Bernie Sanders, left, join hands at an event in Orono, Maine.

Graham Platner faced a series of calls for him to drop out of the race after Politico reported Monday that he allegedly raped a woman he used to date in 2021. Robert F. Bukaty/AP Photo

By Jenna Monnin

July 7, 2026 02:13 p.m.

Sen. Bernie Sanders called on Graham Platner to drop out of the race for Maine’s U.S. Senate seat on Tuesday, leaving the scandal-scarred candidate without the support of one of his first and most steadfast allies.

“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 aside,” Sanders wrote in a short statement posted to X.

Platner faced a series of calls for him to drop out of the race after Politico reported Monday that he allegedly raped a woman he used to date in 2021. The story was just one of several over the course of the past year accusing Platner of misconduct, including a lengthy report in The New York Times that featured several women who accused Platner of “unsettling” behavior.