Bernie Sanders Faces Heat Over 70 Endorsements After Graham Platner Rape Allegation
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Jul 10
Bernie Sanders Faces Heat Over 70 Endorsements After Graham Platner Rape Allegation
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jul 10
Summary
Less than 24 hours after Politico detailed a 2021 rape allegation against Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner, Bernie Sanders joined other Democrats in urging him to step aside.
The reversal has intensified scrutiny of Sanders’ endorsement strategy after he had campaigned for Platner and vowed to do “everything I can” to help elect him.
Michael LaRosa, John Fetterman and other critics say Platner’s collapse reflects a broader pattern in Sanders-backed candidates, arguing the party elevated unvetted contenders and squandered a Senate pickup chance.
Sanders has endorsed 70-plus candidates this cycle, including 19 at the federal level, and several other picks are now being cited by critics as politically damaging or controversial.
Attention is shifting to the Aug. 4 Michigan Senate primary, where Sanders-backed Abdul El-Sayed will test whether Platner’s fallout weakens Sanders’ influence inside the Democratic Party.