Graham Platner is presumed to be on his way to oblivion, but reportedly he is trying to hold the Democratic Party hostage on his way out:
Maine Democratic candidate Graham Platner appears to be holding the Democratic Party hostage and is refusing to drop out after being accused of rape unless he gets to approve his successor to run for the Senate, The Post has learned.
A source familiar with the campaign discussions said Platner, his campaign and political strategist Morris Katz are deliberating about the Maine Democrat dropping out but only if his replacement shares his left-wing values.
Or maybe he wants his replacement to be a fellow rapist. Who knows? Platner apparently has leverage because under Maine law, if he resigns by July 11 the party has a free hand to replace him. What happens after that, I don’t know, but it apparently gets more complicated.
In the meantime, the Democrats are embarrassed. And, as we all know, they don’t embarrass easy.
They didn’t mind that Platner called himself a Communist; that just put him among the party’s avant garde. They were OK with the Nazi tattoo, which they seemed to think was a sign of the manliness that made Platner an attractive candidate. And they didn’t mind the first sexual abuse allegation, because it came from a Republican.
But when a Democrat accused Platner of raping her, the party had had enough. While until then, virtually every national Democrat had stuck with the Communist/Nazi/abuser, they now did a 180. Thus:
You just went to Maine to campaign for him. https://t.co/GRqDRELkYd
— Bill Glahn (@billglahn) July 7, 2026
For Platner and the Democrats. things really can’t get worse. Can they?
Q: How much more gross can P-Hustle get before the end?
— U.S. Senator John Fetterman (@SenFettermanPA) July 7, 2026
TMI! The Democrats want to hurry Platner off the stage before things deteriorate further, but I hope he hangs on and uses whatever leverage he has–uses it, that is, to force the nomination of a far-left Democrat who can’t beat Susan Collins.
Meanwhile, Platner has another option. Some have pointed out that the prediction markets have it 98-1 that he will give resign from the Democratic ticket. That means that all Platner has to do is wager everything he owns on his own staying in the race, and then do so. He will go down to a humiliating defeat, but become a wealthy man.
It would serve the Democrats right.
