Updated

Updated · Fox News · Jul 8

Stephen King Deletes Platner Post, Says Rape Claim Should Force Exit as Backlash Mounts

Updated

Updated · Fox News · Jul 8

Stephen King Deletes Platner Post, Says Rape Claim Should Force Exit as Backlash Mounts

Q: What happens if a Senate candidate withdraws after the ballot replacement deadline has already passed?

If a Senate candidate withdraws after Maine’s ballot-replacement deadline, the party generally loses the ability to put a new nominee on the ballot. In the Maine case described here, Democrats can replace Graham Platner only if he suspends his campaign by 5 p.m. on July 13, with a replacement chosen by July 27. After that, state law is understood to allow removal of his name in some circumstances, but not substitution with another party candidate. In practical terms, that would leave the party without a standard replacement on the general-election ballot. If the candidate does not formally withdraw and only “suspends” the campaign, the name can remain on the ballot and votes cast for that person can still count. That creates a different problem: the party may be stuck with a nominee who is no longer actively running. The remaining options after the deadline are limited and difficult. They could include trying to change the law through an extraordinary legislative session or going to court, but both routes are uncertain and time-sensitive. Reporting on this case notes that Maine law is considered relatively strict, making a late replacement harder than in some past cases elsewhere, such as New Jersey’s 2002 Senate race. So, after the deadline passes, a withdrawal usually means no replacement candidate, major legal obstacles, and potentially a ballot with either the withdrawn candidate’s name or no viable party substitute.

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jul 8

Stephen King deleted an X post that said he hoped Maine Democrat Graham Platner would not drop out, then wrote that he was "not defending" him and that Platner should bow out if he committed rape.
The reversal followed backlash to King's comparison of Platner's case with misconduct in Congress after 41-year-old Jenny Racicot told Politico that Platner forced her to have sex in 2021; Platner denied the allegation.
Bernie Sanders and other prominent Democrats have already urged Platner to suspend his Senate campaign, while Platner has said only that his team will take time to reflect on the best path forward.
July 13 is the key deadline: if Platner suspends by 5 p.m. that day, Maine Democrats can replace him on the general-election ballot by selecting another nominee by July 27.
The controversy hits Democrats as they try to unseat Republican Sen. Susan Collins in Maine, turning Platner's candidacy into a broader test of party discipline.