Stephen King Backs Graham Platner as 1 Ex Accuses Maine Senate Nominee of 2021 Rape

Q: With a nominee's career on the line, what happens if the July 13 withdrawal deadline is ignored?

If Graham Platner does not withdraw by the July 13 deadline, Maine Democrats would effectively lose their chance to replace him on the general-election ballot. Under the timetable cited by party leaders and national Democrats, a withdrawal by 5 p.m. on July 13 would allow the Maine Democratic Party to choose a substitute nominee by July 27. If that deadline passes without a formal withdrawal, the party cannot fill the Senate slot with another candidate. That means Platner would either remain the nominee on the ballot or, if he later stepped aside, leave Democrats without a replacement option. In practical terms, the race would become far harder for the party to contest because it could not put forward a new standard-bearer after the cutoff. The political consequences are already clear from public statements. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee has said it will not invest in the race if Platner stays on the ballot, and several prominent Democrats have withdrawn support or urged him to exit before the deadline. If he ignores it, those decisions would likely stand, leaving his campaign isolated. For voters, the key point is that July 13 is not just symbolic. It is the point after which the party’s ballot options appear to close, making any later withdrawal far less useful and giving the remaining field a major structural advantage.

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jul 7

Stephen King urged Graham Platner to stay in Maine’s Senate race, posting that he hopes the Democratic nominee does not drop out after a former girlfriend accused him of rape.
Jenny Racicot told Politico that Platner drunkenly entered her home in 2021 and raped her; Platner called any allegation of non-consensual behavior “categorically false.”
Ro Khanna withdrew his endorsement and said Platner should leave the race by July 13 so Democrats can replace him on the ballot.
Platner, in a video response, stopped short of quitting and said he was weighing the “best path forward” while keeping his stated goal of defeating Republican Senator Susan Collins.