WASHINGTON — Beleaguered Democratic Senate hopeful Graham Platner held crunch talks with top campaign brass at his Maine home Wednesday as he weighs whether to stay in the race following rape allegations.
The gathering included top adviser Morris Katz, who is trying to hatch a plan for Platner to “remain a voice” in the Senate contest “no matter what” the accused rapist decides, a source familiar with deliberations told The Post.
Platner’s intransigence has left Maine Democrats “livid” and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) “in shock,” according to this person.
“The fact that the NYC mayor’s fixer is headed there to triage Maine has everyone fuming,” the source added.
Two sources say Katz has told allies he believes Platner needs to leave the race before the 5 p.m. Monday deadline to withdraw from the ballot — but wants the exit to be on the candidate’s terms.
“It’s quite clear that he’s [Platner’s] gonna have to get out of the race,” a second source told The Post. “Their reluctance here … is a result of their larger political project, trying to get these types of candidates into places of power.”
Other campaign officials seen entering Platner’s Sullivan home include field director Spencer Toth, digital communications consultant Ryan Aquilina, campaign manager Ben Chin, and Chin’s deputy Eleni Neyland.
The Platner campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
On Monday, Platner announced in a video message that he was “taking the time to reflect on the best path forward” after a former girlfriend, Jenny Racicot, told Politico that he broke into her home and raped her in the dead of night in 2021.
Platner has denied Racicot’s accusations as “categorically false.”
If and when Platner does drop out, he is expected to announce his exit in a similar video message, CNN reported.
Following Racicot’s allegation, Platner’s most prominent backers — including Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) — publicly called on him to step aside.
Key financial and logistical backers, including the DSCC, have vowed to stay out of the race if Platner refuses to withdraw.
Under Maine law, Platner must withdraw of his own volition by close of business July 13 to be removed from the ballot. From that point, Democrats will have exactly two weeks to name a replacement.
State party officials are scrambling to develop a process to pick a new nominee, even toying with an ad hoc convention that is likely to be dominated by Platner supporters.
The Post reported Tuesday that the candidate himself wants assurances that any replacement will share his far-left ideology.
“[T]he Maine Democratic Party has been working around the clock to develop a process to replace our US Senate nominee that is open, inclusive, transparent and fair,” MDP Executive Director Devon Murphy-Anderson said in a video posted on X late Tuesday.
“Unfortunately, Graham Platner’s team has repeatedly reached out to us in an attempt to put their thumb on the scale of what this process looks like.
“We have repeatedly reiterated to Graham Platner’s team that they have no role in determining our next Democratic nominee for the US Senate, nor in determining what this process looks like.”
Platner’s team denied trying to meddle in the process, with a spokesperson saying in a statement: “The Platner campaign has reached out to the party to try and understand what this process would look like.
“At no point has the campaign tried to ‘put its finger on the scale.”
