Grim-looking Maine Senate hopeful Graham Platner was spotted for the first time Tuesday after bombshell rape accusations against him were revealed.
Platner, 41, who is negotiating with Democratic Party leadership to drop out ahead of a Monday deadline, was seen outside his house next to a security guard and a woman believed to be his wife, Amy Gertner, who is on the campaign payroll.
The oyster farmer has vehemently denied the damning rape accusations that Jenny Racicot publicly lodged against him on Monday. She said that he broke into her home and forced her to have sex while heavily drunk.
Platner’s campaign has halted some ads and canned fundraisers amid his pending decision.
Just before the rape accusations emerged, Platner indefinitely postponed all of his public campaign events. He’s also kept a low profile except for a video message to his supporters denying the accusations.
Most prominent Dems have withdrawn their support of Platner and urged him to drop out of the race
However, sources told The Post that Platner and his aides are trying to leverage their position to name a successor who shares his left-wing ideals.
Top Democratic brass is desperate to get Platner to drop out before the July 13 deadline so that he can easily be replaced. Democrats would have until July 27 to select another nominee.
The process for replacing him is uncharted territory, so Maine Democrats would have to develop a process. Some flouted having some sort of mini-primary battle to pick their next nominee.
Platner has significant leverage over the party, which is eager to find a more viable candidate given the stakes of the Maine Senate race.
Democrats need to flip four Senate seats in order to regain control of the upper chamber. The top four opportunities for them this election cycle are widely seen as Maine, North Carolina, Ohio, and Alaska.
If he stays in the race, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) and other top Dem operations have vowed to cut off funding, complicating any effort to keep his campaign afloat.
