Graham Platner, the Democratic nominee for Senate from Maine, said he was taking time to \u201creflect\u201d on his political path forward as his support swiftly eroded after a woman accused him of rape.<\/p>\n
In a video posted on social media, Mr. Platner called the account<\/a> \u201cfalse\u201d even as he acknowledged the threat it posed to his candidacy in a tight race that could determine control of the Senate in November.<\/p>\n \u201cRegardless of the inaccuracy of the reporting but mindful of the political reality it will inflict, we are taking the time to reflect on the best path forward,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n It was not immediately clear whether Mr. Platner intended to continue his campaign against Senator Susan Collins, a Maine Republican. He has until July 13 to withdraw from the race, and if he does the state Democratic Party has until July 27 to replace him on the ticket, according to Maine state law. The leadership of the state party urged him to withdraw.<\/p>\n Both parties see Maine as key to the battle for control of the Senate, and prominent Democrats withdrew their endorsements of him after the allegations surfaced.<\/p>\n The Senate Democratic campaign arm, which had opposed Mr. Platner in the primary, called for him to quit the race. \u201cGraham Platner needs to immediately withdraw as the Democratic nominee for Senate and allow Maine Democrats the opportunity to choose a new candidate who can defeat Susan Collins,\u201d a statement from Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York said. \u201cThe D.S.C.C. will not invest in the Maine Senate race if Platner remains on the ballot.\u201d<\/p>\n Some of his key supporters called for him to drop out as well, including Senator Elizabeth Warren, who had championed his bid. \u201cThere can be no tolerance for sexual assault,\u201d she said in a statement. \u201cWith so much at stake, the best path forward is for Graham Platner to step aside as the Democratic nominee and address these serious allegations outside this Senate race.\u201d<\/p>\n Representative Ro Khanna, a California Democrat who had been another key backer, also withdrew his support. \u201cThese allegations are very serious and credible,\u201d he said. \u201cGraham Platner should drop out from the race. I am withdrawing my endorsement.\u201d<\/p>\n There were some indications that Mr. Platner may be contemplating an exit. <\/p>\n He has not made a decision on whether to drop out, according to a person familiar with the campaign\u2019s internal discussions, who added there was no guarantee he would drop out even as Democrats abandoned his campaign. \u201cIf he was to step down it would only be with a guarantee of being replaced by a candidate who he believes is true to the values and vision and policy agenda of the campaign that Maine voted for,\u201d said the person, who was granted anonymity because they were not authorized to speak about the discussions publicly.<\/p>\n