Democratic fighting escalates in Maine as Graham Platner stalls on making a decision

2026 ElectionDemocratic fighting escalates in Maine as Graham Platner stalls on making a decisionPlatner’s campaign and the state party have been publicly sparring, with the campaign denying it’s trying to unduly influence who would replace him as the Senate nominee. Listen to this article with a free profile00:0000:00While Platner has denied an ex-girlfriend's allegation that he sexually assaulted her in 2021, he said he is considering his best path forward in the Maine Senate race.Graeme Sloan / Bloomberg via Getty Images fileShareAdd NBC News to GoogleJuly 8, 2026, 6:03 PM EDTBy Sahil Kapur and Ryan NoblesMore than 48 hours after Graham Platner signaled he may drop out of the Maine Senate race after facing a sexual assault allegation, he continues to hold off on announcing whether he’ll end his campaign.Subscribe to read this story ad-freeGet unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.In that time, tensions have dramatically escalated between the state party and Platner. Both sides have aired their grievances publicly, threatening any lingering hopes of unifying the party to defeat Republican Sen. Susan Collins, an uphill climb under even the best of circumstances. The seat is critical to Democratic hopes of taking control of the Senate in the fall. “It is a lobster cage fight with the rubber bands off. It is a death match right now between every single apparatus in the Democratic Party,” Liam Kent, a resident of Midcoast, Maine who previously worked for years with the state Democratic Party.Right now, discussions center around what will happen if Platner steps aside — and who gets a say in that process. Platner has until July 13, in which case the state party could replace him by July 27. If he refuses to drop out, Democrats are stuck with him on the ballot.Senior leadership from the Platner campaign held a call Wednesday with its staff, according to a person on the call. The senior campaign official told staff that while they did not believ...