Platner ends campaign under pressure |
Maine Democrats are scrambling for a new Senate nominee after Graham Platner suspended his campaign last night. Platner denied new allegations of sexual assault but conceded he couldn’t keep running after his party abandoned him. “The corporate media system and the political establishment got to act as judge, jury, and executioner,” Platner said in an 11-minute campaign video. On a call with campaign staff, Platner said he’d sought “assurances from the Democratic Party that they will ensure a process for a replacement nominee that respects the will of the voters” who supported him in the June 9 primary. Minutes before Platner spoke, the Maine Democratic Party announced that it would hold a nominating convention to replace him. Meanwhile, the National Republican Senatorial Committee told its stakeholders that a snap poll it conducted in Maine found that most Democrats didn’t want him to quit. — David Weigel |