Democratic Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner faced a swift collapse of support on Monday after a woman publicly accused him of rape, prompting senior figures across the party to call on him to suspend his campaign. The revolt matters because Platner had recently won the Democratic primary and been embraced by both progressive and establishment wings of the party, making the sudden withdrawal of endorsements a significant blow in a crucial Senate race.

The accusation came from Maine resident Jenny Racicot, 41, who told Politico and CNN that Platner entered her home uninvited while intoxicated nearly five years ago and forced himself on her despite her repeated attempts to stop him. Racicot, who had been seeing Platner on and off at the time, described the alleged encounter as the "dictionary definition" of rape and said she cut ties with him afterwards. Platner denied her account and said he was reflecting on the best path forward, but prominent backers including Senator Elizabeth Warren and Representative Ro Khanna rescinded their endorsements, with Senators Martin Heinrich and Ruben Gallego also withdrawing support.