Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner has lost the backing of several prominent left-leaning media figures after Politico published a report on Monday detailing a rape allegation from a former girlfriend. The allegation has prompted his most high-profile press supporters to call on him to suspend his campaign, throwing the closely watched race — in which Platner had been positioned as Democrats' best hope of unseating Republican Senator Susan Collins — into disarray.

Jenny Racicot alleged that in 2021 a drunk Platner entered her home uninvited and had sex with her despite her repeatedly telling him to stop, describing it to CNN as the "dictionary definition" of rape; Platner denies the claim. The accusation follows earlier controversies, including alleged Nazi tattoos, claimed rape fantasies, heavy drinking and a prior New York Times report on "unsettling" behaviour towards women. Former Obama staffer and "Pod Save America" co-host Jon Favreau, who had strongly defended Platner in April as a "good, decent man", reversed course to say he should drop out "ASAP", citing "awful, credible allegations" and a loss of trust, and noting the party could still find a replacement if Platner withdrew by the 13th.