Rep. Ro Khanna withdraws endorsement of Maine Senate contender Graham Platner after rape allegation, urges him to drop out

Rep. Ro Khanna said Monday that Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner should withdraw from Maine’s U.S. Senate race after a rape allegation surfaced, and he moved to end his own support for Platner, according to a report by the New York Post. Khanna, a California Democrat, said on X that “sexual assault or violence against women is a red line” and that the allegations against Platner are “very serious and credible,” the report said. The New York Post also reported that Khanna withdrew his endorsement and urged Platner to drop out of the race. The allegation described in the New York Post report centers on claims made by Platner’s former partner, who alleged in a separate news report that Platner assaulted her about five years ago, according to the New York Post. The Post’s article characterizes the allegation as “disturbing” and frames Khanna’s statement as a response to the claim’s seriousness. Khanna’s intervention came as Maine Democrats were approaching a primary in a race that has drawn national attention. Fox News reported that polling took place in Maine Tuesday as Democrats weighed the candidacy of Platner, who is seeking to face Republican Sen. Susan Collins in November, the outlet reported. The New York Post report said Khanna had been among Platner’s largest congressional supporters and that his statement marked a break from that prior backing. The report did not describe any criminal filing or formal adjudication in the public record at the time of publication. Maine’s Senate race has also featured other controversies involving Platner, Fox News reported in a separate piece, describing scrutiny of comments and other matters in the weeks leading up to the primary. While those additional issues were discussed by Fox, the New York Post report focused Khanna’s action on the rape allegation and the endorsement withdrawal. In the days ahead, the next step in the process will depend on how Platner responds to the allegation, whether additional statements or evidence are made available publicly, and how voters decide in the Democratic primary and subsequent general election. The allegation also raises questions for party officials about endorsement standards and candidate vetting, though the decision to withdraw support remains separate from any legal determination of the underlying claims.