As Maine families struggle to afford groceries, rent, and the dream of home ownership, Democrats have handed the nomination to the career politician who championed one of the largest tax increases in decades and backed policies that skyrocketed energy costs across the state: Troy Jackson
And Maine voters never got a say. After Graham Platner dropped out of the race, Troy Jackson didn’t win a statewide primary. Instead, he was selected by Democratic Party insiders at a secretive convention.
The nearly unanimous vote by the party establishment signals they’re satisfied with Jackson’s record and eager to send his failed Augusta-style politics to Washington. Mainers deserve a clear look at what this would mean for their citizens and families.
Jackson’s record in the Maine Senate is a good indicator of how he would legislate in the U.S. Senate. As Maine Senate president, Jackson contributed to a state government that has grown more expensive and intrusive while household budgets have become more fragile. Under his leadership, spending rose, and regulations burdened employers and builders, while lawmakers paid lip service to affordability. Mandates and compliance costs have been passed along to renters and homebuyers, driving up rents and shelving projects.
The consequences of Jackson’s policies hit the private sector first and then showed up in the family budget. Maine now combines comparatively modest incomes with stubbornly high housing, energy, and tax burdens, a brutal mix for anyone trying to raise a family or retire on a fixed income.
Business owners have <a href="https://www.thecentersquare.com/maine/article_fab13867-c897-46a2-b82e-55239a2e0ebe.html">borne the brunt</a> of these partisan policy shifts, as Augusta’s agenda has driven up energy bills, payroll costs, and insurance premiums. It is simple – when the government makes it more expensive to operate in Maine, it becomes more expensive to live in Maine.
Jackson&#8217;s approach is grounded in greater government control over Maine’s economy. It&#8217;s why Maine’s organized socialist movement is <a href="https://www.themainewire.com/2026/07/maine-socialists-weigh-endorsement-of-troy-jackson-in-u-s-senate-contest/">weighing an endorsement of his campaign</a>. Their support alone raises real questions for Mainers about where this agenda could lead, from energy policy to housing. Socialists are really good at making basic things more expensive.
We saw a preview in Pine Tree Power, which would have replaced Maine’s investor-owned utilities with a quasi-public entity financed by the state’s largest-ever borrowing package and <a href="https://www.mainepublic.org/politics/2023-09-28/pine-tree-power-requires-the-states-largest-ever-borrowing-package-will-maine-voters-allow-it">more than $1 billion in new debt</a>. <a href="https://ctmirror.org/2023/11/11/maine-public-power-company-referendum-vote/">Voters rejected that plan</a> 68% to 32% because they understood who would be left holding the bag. Jackson’s policies have clearly failed Maine at the state level. Just imagine what would happen if Jackson could bring these policies to the federal level.
Aside from his problematic policy stances, Jackson’s ethics are questionable at best.
Troy Jackson has long sold himself as a blue-collar champion from the North Woods. Yet after <a href="https://www.themainewire.com/2023/08/maine-senate-president-troy-jackson-locked-in-bitter-legal-fight-over-augusta-home-he-bought-and-moved-into-in-2019/">purchasing an Augusta home</a>, he agreed in mortgage documents to make it his principal residence and said in court filings that he had moved in.
At the same time, Jackson listed an Allagash address in the district he represented on filings with the Maine Ethics Commission, even as he acknowledged living in Augusta. The commission <a href="https://www.mainepublic.org/politics/2023-10-25/maine-commission-clears-senate-president-troy-jackson-in-ethics-case-over-residency-rules">declined to investigate further</a>, concluding it lacked sufficient evidence of a violation, but to Mainers watching from outside Augusta, the arrangement still looks like one standard for Jackson and another for everyone else.
Susan Collins offers a very different pathway. You may not agree with her on every issue, but she has treated Maine’s private-sector job creators as partners rather than targets. She backed federal tax reform to <a href="https://www.collins.senate.gov/newsroom/senate-passes-comprehensive-tax-reform-amendments-authored-senator-collins-benefit-middle">reduce marginal tax rates for small pass-through businesses</a>, helping family-owned companies keep more of each dollar and reinvest in equipment, hiring, and wages. Those changes didn’t create flashy new programs, but they kept doors open on Main Street and gave employers a buffer against the cost-of-living squeeze Mainers feel today.
Collins starts from the idea that strong communities require healthy local businesses and that tax policy should reward work and investment. Jackson’s camp treats private enterprise as something to be abused in the service of ideology.
Maine can’t afford to send the chief salesman of Augusta’s tax-and-spend experiment to Washington and expect him to govern any differently there. Higher federal taxes, heavier regulations, and socialist-inspired experiments in energy and housing would show up in your mortgage payment, your electric bill, and your grocery budget.
This fall’s Senate race is a choice between an Augusta agenda that has driven up costs and chased opportunity away, and steady leadership aimed at keeping this state a place where working families can stay and thrive. Mainers who are tired of being treated as collateral damage in someone else’s ideological project should reject Troy Jackson’s radical, tax-and-spend agenda and re-elect Susan Collins to fight for the economic survival of Maine families.
***
Laurel Libby is a member of the Maine House of Representatives.

Maine Democrats Hold Senate Nominating Convention

Mainers Can’t Afford Troy Jackson’s Radical Tax-And-Spend Agenda

DW Opinion

graham platner

Maine Democrats

Susan Collins

Troy Jackson

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche’s path to becoming permanent head of the Justice Department became more difficult on Friday after Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) said she would not vote to confirm him. 
Murkowski joins Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) in her opposition to Blanche, claiming he would further the politicization of the Justice Department. The Alaska Republican also cited pro-life commitments made by Blanche and now-rescinded plans to create a fund for the victims of government weaponization as reasons to oppose his nomination.
While she said that Blanche comes across as “decent and capable,” and had “numerous constructive meetings” with him, Murkowski said she would “oppose his nomination.” 
“The politicization — even weaponization — of the Department did not start with this administration but has accelerated during it,” she said. “I take issue with the handling of the release of the Epstein files; the sweeping immunity protections granted to the President, his family, and their businesses; the statements that have been made to anti-abortion groups; and the repeated targeting of individuals ranging from former administration staff to sitting U.S. Senators.”
Murkowski added that she was still skeptical that the $1.8 billion anti-weaponization fund Blanche <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/todd-blanche-makes-move-to-secure-votes-from-two-gop-holdouts?author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=10&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Todd+Blanche+Makes+Move+To+Secure+Votes+From+Two+GOP+Holdouts">rescinded</a> on Sunday would stay dead. While that was enough for Senators Thom Tillis (R-NC) and John Cornyn (R-TX) to vote for his nomination to advance from the Senate Judiciary Committee, both Murkowski and Collins said they were not convinced. 
“The country needs an Attorney General who will check the worst impulses of this administration,” she said. “I hope Mr. Blanche is able to achieve that, if confirmed, but I simply do not have confidence that will be the case.”
With Senator Mitch McConnell’s (R-KY) long absence from the Senate amid health issues, Blanche cannot afford to lose any more Republicans. Outgoing Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA) has met with Blanche this week and is reportedly one of the key votes yet to be decided. It is unknown when a full Senate vote could occur. 
Last weekend, Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/117020029291674756">said</a> that if Blanche was not confirmed, he would continue to “push hard to get the Anti-Weaponization Bill, which takes care of those who have been so badly treated by the Crooked Joe Biden (and Obuma!) Administration.”

DOJ Announces Charges Against Top Members Of Mexico Cartel CJNG

Second GOP Senator Comes Out Against Blanche Confirmation

Alaska

bill Cassidy

Department of Justice

Donald Trump

Lisa Murkowski

Maine

Mitch McConnell

Todd Blanche

Senate Republicans unveiled a bipartisan stopgap funding bill Sunday that would prevent a government shutdown weeks before the 2026 midterm elections, though not every GOP lawmaker is on board. 
The continuing resolution, negotiated by Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins (R-ME) and Vice Chair Patty Murray (D-WA), would keep most federal agencies funded through December 11 while lawmakers continue negotiating full-year appropriations bills beyond the September 30 funding deadline.
The Senate is expected to hold an initial procedural vote Monday evening, with Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) hoping to pass the measure before lawmakers depart Washington for the August recess.
The agreement represents a different approach from the House, which passed its own stopgap funding measure largely along party lines last month. Senate Republicans instead pursued a bipartisan compromise that can clear the chamber&#8217;s 60-vote threshold, making Democratic support essential.
Collins called the legislation a &#8220;major step toward averting a damaging shutdown that only harms vital programs and federal workers.&#8221;
&#8220;This measure gives Congress the time we need to continue our work on bipartisan appropriations bills, which are always my strong preference for handling annual government funding,&#8221; Collins said in a <a href="https://www.appropriations.senate.gov/news/majority/sen-collins-statement-on-release-of-continuing-resolution">statement</a>.
Not every Republican supports the deal.
Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) blasted the compromise over the weekend, arguing it gives away too much to Democrats. 
&#8220;Will I vote for it? The short answer is no. The long answer is hell no,&#8221; Kennedy said during an interview on NBC&#8217;s <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-press/video/gop-sen-john-kennedy-says-u-s-has-lost-perspective-on-war-with-iran-full-interview-267643461813?utm_campaign=trueanthem&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=twitter">Meet the Press</a>.
The Senate proposal includes several funding adjustments, known as anomalies, affecting programs such as the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), disaster relief, national security initiatives, and shipbuilding.
The legislation also temporarily blocks implementation of a proposed Office of Management and Budget rule governing federal grant approvals, a provision Democrats argued would give the administration too much authority over distributing federal funds.
Murray <a href="https://www.appropriations.senate.gov/news/minority/senator-murray-on-release-of-cr-text">called</a> the Senate package &#8220;a much-improved CR to keep the government funded and avert a shutdown that no one wants.&#8221;
Even if the Senate passes the legislation this week, its path through the House remains uncertain. House Republicans approved a different continuing resolution before leaving Washington for the August recess, meaning the two chambers will need to reconcile their competing approaches before the September 30 funding deadline.
Congressional leaders have signaled that avoiding a shutdown has become an increasingly urgent priority as both parties head into a closely contested midterm election season.
If enacted, the continuing resolution would fund the federal government through December 11, giving lawmakers additional time to negotiate a longer-term spending package after the November elections.

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine

The Shutdown Fight Most Republicans Don’t Want

2026 Midterms

bipartisanship

Congress

federal funding

Government Shutdown

John Kennedy

John Thune

Politics

Senate

Senate Democrats

Senate GOP

U.S.

Happy Friday to everyone, but not to Troy Jackson. The Cousin F*cker.
You heard that right, friends. Troy Jackson, the newly selected Democratic Senate nominee to replace Graham Platner (Nazi tattoo guy) up in Maine and take on Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) for a seat that could hand Democrats the majority, is in a long-term relationship with, and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/graham-platners-replacement-accused-of-having-kids-with-cousin">shares</a> two children with, his second cousin.
There&#8217;s a sentence you never thought you&#8217;d read.
We knew he was bad. Jackson stood by his friend <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/lets-platten-this-graham-cracker">Platner</a> right up until a liberal woman accused him of rape; he&#8217;s a devout socialist, and his policies sit to the Left of Bernie Sanders. But we didn&#8217;t know he was this bad. Married-to-his-cousin bad.
Somehow this skeleton, alive and kicking, is almost worse than Platner&#8217;s closet of overflowing bones. You&#8217;ll remember Graham Platner, the self-described communist who also claims to be an oyster farmer, though his main customer is his mommy. He had a large Nazi tattoo on his chest, cheated on his wife just months into their marriage, has a sexting problem, and enjoys jerking off in porta-potties. He said he&#8217;d r*pe home invaders, but not in a gay way, and he had a Kik account, a site notorious for hosting child sex predators. Oh, and he was accused of sexual assault by a Right-wing staffer.
You&#8217;ll also remember that none of this moved the needle for Democrats. They staunchly defended this hirsute gopher and shrugged off his machinations right up to the end. It wasn&#8217;t until a liberal woman claimed he&#8217;d raped her that his support finally fell by the wayside.
But have no fear! Democrats have an unending list of capable, normal, hardworking candidates to put in his place — someone to lay siege to Collins’s reign!
We saw these qualified quacks take the Maine Senate <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/eight-dems-including-a-logger-and-transgender-songwriter-face-off-in-maine-senate-debate">debate</a> stage earlier this month, and their sheer star power was astounding. Between transgender-identifying candidate Ashley Webb, who cited his background as a songwriter and author as proof of his qualifications, and Troy Jackson, the former logger with an affinity for putting his log in his relatives, this bench seemed unstoppable.
Right up until word escaped the incestuary that Jackson was playing house with his high school second-cousin sweetheart.
Sen. Collins is probably pouring an extra-large glass of wine and toasting the Maine Democratic Party&#8217;s unparalleled talent for self-sabotage.
While Democrats scramble to explain why their latest &#8220;normal, hardworking&#8221; replacement shares great-grandparents with the mother of his children, Collins can campaign on the radical idea of not being related to her spouse. Second-cousin romance may be legal, and not unheard of in the remote North Woods, but the rest of the state still prefers its senators to have family trees that don&#8217;t look like a pretzel.
And no, Dems, you can&#8217;t pretend this is like FDR and Eleanor. They were fifth cousins. Still super weird. But slightly better than sharing a great-grandparent.
This is what happens when a party defends the indefensible until the last possible second, then pivots to the next available warm body without checking the Ancestry.com results. Platner had the Nazi ink and the porta-potties. Jackson has the high-school-sweetheart-who&#8217;s-also-family situation.
These two could star in a low-budget Lifetime original: Love in the North Woods: When Blood Is Thicker Than Water and Also Kinda the Same Thing, But Not In A Gay Way. Somewhere in between, the concept of a boring, electable candidate got lost in those woods and never came back.
So again, happy Friday to everyone but Troy Jackson. The rest of us can enjoy the weekend knowing that, once again, the Maine Democratic bench has delivered pure entertainment and an easier path to reelection for Susan Collins.
Unless, of course, Mainers find second-cousin-f*cking commie candidates romantic and mysterious. In that case, let them keep it in the family.

Troy Jackson Is The Cousin Lover Who Would Replace The Nazi

Maine Democratic Gov. Janet Mills on Tuesday refused to endorse Troy Jackson, the last-minute candidate party elites chose to replace accused rapist Graham Platner on the November ballot. 
In an interview with local outlet <a href="https://www.wmtw.com/article/mills-calls-collins-vulnerable-but-stops-short-of-endorsing-troy-jackson/73292374">WMTW</a>, Mills said she has not spoken with Jackson and stopped short of endorsing him, adding that she still wants to see Republican Senator Susan Collins go down in November. 
“We haven’t spoken, but clearly Susan Collins is vulnerable, and she should be — she should be defeated,” Mills said. She did not comment on whether the process her party had used to coronate Jackson as the nominee would alienate voters. 
It&#8217;s unusual for a sitting Democratic governor to withhold an endorsement from her party&#8217;s U.S. Senate nominee. Perhaps the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/maine-democrats-choose-nazi-tatted-graham-platner-in-senate-primary?author=Jacob+Wheeler&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=125&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Dems+Pick+Nazi-Tatted+Graham+Platner+Even+After+%E2%80%98Predator%E2%80%99s+Paradise%E2%80%99+Photos+Surface">lingering resentment</a> stems from Mills spending months crisscrossing Maine, warning party activists and voters that Platner&#8217;s baggage would be too heavy to carry — even in a blue-leaning state. Voters, along with much of the Democratic establishment, ignored her warnings. 
The Democratic establishment viewed Mills, who was recruited and backed by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), as the strongest candidate to defeat Collins. However, Socialist Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) had different plans. 
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/graham-platner-was-really-lefts-2nd-choice-for-maine-senate-option-1-had-a-big-skeleton?author=Jacob+Wheeler&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=2&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Graham+Platner+Was+Really+Left%E2%80%99s+2nd+Choice+For+Maine+Senate+%E2%80%94+Option+1+Had+A+Big+%E2%80%98Skeleton%E2%80%99">The Daily Wire previously reported</a> that leftists turned to the embattled Platner after their initial choice was found to have a major “skeleton” in his closet. In July 2025, two Bernie Sanders-aligned political operatives hunted for a Democrat to challenge Collins, ultimately landing on and recruiting Platner. The oyster farmer launched his campaign a month later <a href="https://x.com/grahamformaine/status/1957780836062826868?s=20">with a viral video</a> that quickly attracted national attention from leftist activists and Democratic donors. 
Trying to stop his momentum, Mills went on the attack against Platner in commercials, highlighting his scandals and running with the tagline, &#8220;<a href="https://x.com/AdImpact_Pol/status/2033915569401958580?s=20">Graham Platner: The closer you look, the worse it gets</a>.&#8221; One advertisement in particular featured older women expressing disgust. 
Ultimately, her strategy failed to gain traction with an increasingly restless base eager to buck their party’s establishment. On April 30, Mills suspended her campaign. 
“While I have the drive and passion, commitment and experience, and above all else — the fight — to continue on, I very simply do not have the one thing that political campaigns unfortunately require today: the financial resources,” <a href="https://x.com/JanetMillsforME/status/2049832653189152925?s=20">Mills said in a statement</a>. 
Now that Platner is off the ballot, Democrats face a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/likely-platner-replacement-used-to-be-normal-before-the-activists-got-to-him?author=Jacob+Wheeler&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=27&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Likely+Platner+Replacement+Used+To+Be+Normal%2C+Before+The+Activists+Got+To+Him">new challenge</a>: rallying their base behind a nominee who previously opposed abortion and same-sex marriage and is known for a history of public outbursts.
Republicans hope to use Jackson&#8217;s conservative past and his new leftward platform as a wedge issue, arguing the shift will alienate voters across the political spectrum and help propel Collins to victory in November.
“He’s a Bernie Bro,” Collins <a href="https://x.com/mkraju/status/2080406319870230991?s=20">told</a> reporters in the halls of the U.S. Senate. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Susan Collins on Troy Jackson: “He’s a Bernie Bro.” <a href="https://t.co/qzt63Y3phE">pic.twitter.com/qzt63Y3phE</a>
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) <a href="https://x.com/mkraju/status/2080406319870230991?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 23, 2026</a></blockquote>

President Trump Meets With Governors At The White House

Maine Democratic Governor Refuses To Endorse Platner Replacement

Democrats

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Midterms

News

Republicans

U.S. Senate

Socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) has no regrets about aggressively campaigning for Graham Platner, who later dropped out of Maine&#8217;s U.S. Senate race following explosive rape allegations.
CBS anchor Margaret Brennan pressed Sanders over his support for Platner, whose failed candidacy upended the Democratic establishment and sent the party scrambling to find a new nominee just months before the November election.
“You were an early supporter in Maine of Graham Platner. You helped him rise. Do you regret not acting earlier to call for him to drop out, given the warning signs?” Brennan asked.
In a defiant reply, Sanders said: “No, I don&#8217;t think so. When we heard the serious allegations made against him, I wanted to get on the phone. I wanted to talk to him. I did. I asked, along with virtually all his supporters, that he should get out of the race, and he did.” 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
CBS: “You were an early supporter in Maine of Graham Platner, you helped him rise. Do you regret not acting earlier…given the warning signs?”
BERNIE SANDERS: “No, I don’t think so.” <a href="https://t.co/oImvb4luHc">pic.twitter.com/oImvb4luHc</a>
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) <a href="https://x.com/RNCResearch/status/2081396620545921295?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 26, 2026</a></blockquote>
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/graham-platner-was-really-lefts-2nd-choice-for-maine-senate-option-1-had-a-big-skeleton?author=Jacob+Wheeler&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=2&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Graham+Platner+Was+Really+Left%E2%80%99s+2nd+Choice+For+Maine+Senate+%E2%80%94+Option+1+Had+A+Big+%E2%80%98Skeleton%E2%80%99">The Daily Wire previously reported</a> that leftists hand-picked Platner after their initial choice was found to have a major “skeleton” in his closet. Last July, two Bernie Sanders-aligned political operatives hunted for a Democrat to challenge Republican Senator Susan Collins, ultimately landing on and recruiting Platner. After a meteoric rise, Platner suspended his Senate campaign on July 8 after Democrats mounted a pressure campaign to force him out of the race following rape and sexual harassment allegations that he denies.
Over the weekend, Maine Democrats <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/democrat-party-bosses-crown-new-nominee-to-replace-graham-platner?author=Virginia+Kruta&amp;category=undefined&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=3&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+News&amp;rowType=Vertical+Carousel&amp;title=Democrat+Party+Bosses+Crown+New+Nominee+To+Replace+Graham+Platner">hand-selected a new nominee</a> to replace the disgraced oyster farmer: Troy Jackson.
The party announced the decision on Saturday, saying that Jackson had been “formally” selected by the Maine Democratic State Committee — meaning that not a single Maine Democrat had cast a vote for him to be their nominee in that race.
Maine Democrats’ Executive Director Devon Murphy-Anderson praised the move, claiming that it was just one more example of “democracy” working exactly as it should.
“Democracy, while sometimes really messy, is always, always worth fighting for … doing what is right is what us Maine Democrats will choose every damn time,” she said.
Kristen Cianci, the Republican Party&#8217;s New England communications director, blasted the move on X, drawing comparisons to Kamala Harris&#8217; coronation as the Democrats&#8217; 2024 presidential nominee.
“History is repeating itself in Maine. Troy Jackson will be crowned by @MaineDems this weekend without a single vote being cast. Just like Kamala, voters will reject him when they finally get their say in November,” she said.

GettyImages-2278039744

Bernie Sanders Doesn’t Regret Supporting Accused Rapist Graham Platner

Bernie Sanders

As Graham Platner crashed out of the Maine Senate race over rape accusations, a nebulous group stepped out of the shadows with millions of dollars to boost Democrats in the state. In the immediate aftermath of the scandal, a 30-second $2.5 million <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4UkhcVm6Hx8">TV spot</a> popped up <a href="https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2026/07/10/congress/dem-ad-blitz-collins-abortion-record-00992630">attacking</a> Republican Susan Collins for her vote to confirm Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court.
The ad was paid for by a group called “Affordable Maine,” which records show is a creation of the Opportunity Action Fund, a Washington, D.C.-based dark money group run by well-connected activists poised to spend millions of dollars backing Democrats in the midterm elections. The group&#8217;s sudden injection into the race provides a clue about how a powerful dark money entity will spend its money ahead of the midterm elections. 
Affordable Maine is just one of the dozens of trade names registered by the Opportunity Action Fund, including multiple other “affordable” state-focused groups. The trade names shed light on where Democrats may pour untraceable money next — even as many of the party’s candidates denounce dark money and corporate PACs. 
<a href="https://corponline.dlcp.dc.gov/business/info">Corporate filings</a> show all of the trade names registered by the Opportunity Action Fund are competitive politically: Affordable Virginia, Affordable Pennsylvania, Affordable Georgia, Affordable Iowa, Affordable Alaska, Affordable Maine, Affordable Ohio, Affordable Michigan, and Affordable North Carolina. 
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<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1134795" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-13-at-1.17.25-PM.png" alt="" width="1467" height="725" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-13-at-1.17.25-PM.png 1467w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-13-at-1.17.25-PM-300x148.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-13-at-1.17.25-PM-1024x506.png 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-13-at-1.17.25-PM-768x380.png 768w" sizes=" (max-width: 1467px) 100vw, 1467px" /></div>
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Caitlin Sutherland, the executive director of Americans for Public Trust, a watchdog group that first flagged the corporate filings, told the Daily Wire that these trade names are used to disguise the fact that groups dumping into races aren’t as local as they claim to be. She said that trade names should be viewed as a &#8220;costume&#8221; to hide the true nature of where the spending originates.  
“What they are doing is co-opting this process to make it seem like it&#8217;s a local mom and pop grassroots group that can then run ads to support a specific candidate in a state,” Sutherland told The Daily Wire. “We just saw this last week with attacking Susan Collins under the group Affordable Maine. It&#8217;s very important to know it&#8217;s not a Maine group.”
All of the groups appear to be moving in concert with each other. The trade names for “affordable” Maine, Michigan, Alaska, Ohio, and North Carolina, for example, were identically registered on April 23, 2026. All of these states have competitive Senate or House races. 
Sutherland expects to see more &#8220;affordable&#8221; attacks on Republican Dan Sullivan in Alaska as well as on Republican candidates in North Carolina, Michigan, Ohio, and Iowa. Spending allocation will likely depend on fundraising numbers and polling. She added that it was telling to see where no trade names had yet been created. For example, no name has been registered for Texas, where Democratic candidate James Talarico is facing off against Attorney General Ken Paxton.
The trade names allow outside groups to “sneak in and sneak out of these competitive districts or these competitive states and make it sound like it is a local group,&#8221; Sutherland said. 
The Opportunity Action Fund was first registered in Washington, D.C. on February 20, 2025, and its listed corporate email address is affiliated with Elias Law, the law firm of powerful Democrat lawyer Marc Elias. Elias has made a name for himself by challenging voter integrity laws and representing Democratic candidates.  
The group&#8217;s corporate filings list its directors as Mike Russell, Larry Lopez, and Christopher Rackens, who previously worked <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-rackens-95396150/">several Capitol Hill jobs</a> for House Democrats.
Another one of the Opportunity Action Fund’s trade names is Campaign for a Family Friendly Economy, which used to be a project of the Democrat aligned Forward Action Fund. The group&#8217;s affiliated PAC <a href="https://www.familyfriendlyeconomy.org/news-/new%3A-campaign-for-a-family-friendly-economy-pac-announces-%2450-million-midterm-electoral-program">announced</a> plans to spend $50 million backing Democrats in the midterm elections. The organization and its PAC share the same <a href="https://www.familyfriendlyeconomy.org/">website</a> and describes itself as a “project” of the Opportunity Action Fund. 
The $50 million campaign said its<a href="https://apnews.com/article/daycare-child-care-assistance-midterm-elections-1a006de0d9e0557370958e482d6f51f4"> focus</a> would be on Senate races in North Carolina, Georgia, Michigan, Maine, and Ohio, and on Iowa and Pennsylvania House races, all states with Opportunity Action Fund “affordable” trade names. 
The group is led by Sondra Goldschein, who previously worked for the far-left ACLU as the deputy national political director. Its goals include pushing paid medical leave and “affordable child care.” 
The Campaign for a Family Friendly Economy PAC <a href="https://www.fec.gov/data/committee/C00744920/?cycle=2024">reported</a> raising $22 million for the 2024 election cycle. Its current <a href="https://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/fecimg/?202601309795136179">reported</a> receipts from January 2025 to May 2026 sit at over $2.8 million. About $2 million of these funds were from Pivotal Ventures, a group tied to Melinda French Gates, the ex-wife of billionaire Bill Gates. Those funds were <a href="https://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/fecimg/?202601309795136179">marked</a> for the PAC&#8217;s non-contribution account, meaning they cannot directly go toward candidates.  
Two of the <a href="https://www.familyfriendlyeconomy.org/accountability">projects</a> of the Campaign For a Family Friendly Economy include Affordable Virginia and Affordable Pennsylvania, both trade names of the Opportunity Action Fund that were previously housed by the Forward Action Fund. 
&nbsp;
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1134881" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-14-at-12.42.13-PM-scaled.png" alt="" width="2560" height="1196" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-14-at-12.42.13-PM-scaled.png 2560w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-14-at-12.42.13-PM-300x140.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-14-at-12.42.13-PM-1024x478.png 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-14-at-12.42.13-PM-768x359.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-14-at-12.42.13-PM-1536x718.png 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-14-at-12.42.13-PM-2048x957.png 2048w" sizes=" (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px" /></div>
Affordable Pennsylvania has <a href="https://www.affordablepennsylvania.org/">focused</a> its attention on attacking Republican lawmakers including Reps Ryan Mackenzie, Rob Bresnahan, and Scott Perry. The group attacked the trio for voting for more accountability for welfare benefits. 
One upcoming <a href="https://www.mobilize.us/affordablepennsylvania/event/969389/">event</a> sponsored by Affordable Pennsylvania bills itself as a “town hall” that “will put people as the center of the affordability crisis and hold Congressman Mackenzie accountable to us — not his billionaire buddies on their yachts.”
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<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1134885" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-14-at-10.16.21-AM.png" alt="" width="1466" height="192" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-14-at-10.16.21-AM.png 1466w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-14-at-10.16.21-AM-300x39.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-14-at-10.16.21-AM-1024x134.png 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-14-at-10.16.21-AM-768x101.png 768w" sizes=" (max-width: 1466px) 100vw, 1466px" /></div>
&nbsp;
Affordable Virginia <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20260224002131/https://www.affordablevirginia.org/">focused</a> much of its attention on going after GOP Rep. Jen Kiggans. The group no longer appears to have an active website, but is still listed as an active trade name of the Opportunity Action Fund. 
Other of the “affordable” trade names don’t yet appear to have active websites. Going to a <a href="https://affordableiowa.org/">webpage</a> for AffordableIowa.org ends up on a page announcing that it will be “launching soon.” 
&nbsp;
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1134919" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-14-at-10.59.01-AM-scaled.png" alt="" width="2560" height="809" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-14-at-10.59.01-AM-scaled.png 2560w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-14-at-10.59.01-AM-300x95.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-14-at-10.59.01-AM-1024x324.png 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-14-at-10.59.01-AM-768x243.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-14-at-10.59.01-AM-1536x486.png 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-14-at-10.59.01-AM-2048x647.png 2048w" sizes=" (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px" /></div>
Sutherland said that voters in these states should carefully scrutinize the groups behind the ads they see.
“They really need to question why is this group not being transparent about who they actually are,&#8221; she said. &#8220;It&#8217;s important to take a step back and to scrutinize where that message is coming from before it impacts your vote.&#8221;
In addition to the &#8220;affordable&#8221; trade names, the Opportunity Action fund registered groups like &#8220;The Rural Path&#8221; and &#8220;Astronauts for America Action Fund&#8221; as trade names. A <a href="https://www.theruralpath.com/">website</a> for The Rural Path has expired, but The Rural Path PAC has an <a href="https://www.rppac.com/">active website</a> that states its goal is to improve Democrat performance among rural voters. The Astronauts for America Action Fund has <a href="https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/pdfs/Space-Community-Letter-on-FY-2027-NASA-Budget.pdf">signed</a> its name to a letter complaining about funding cuts. 
With the failure of the Democratic Party in the 2024 election and the growing toxicity of dark money groups like the Sixteen Thirty Fund, there is an opening for groups to assert themselves as the top outside spender ahead of the next presidential election.
&#8220;All these groups on the left are going to be jockeying for who is going to be the main outside group that is going to have all the money, and the infrastructure ahead of a presidential year, that&#8217;s really not that far away,&#8221; Sutherland said. &#8220;Time and time again, we see Democrats decry dark money, but the Left is the one benefiting the most from dark money.&#8221;

MixCollage-16-Jul-2026-12-56-PM-6658

Where A Secretive Dem Dark Money Network May Strike Next

2026 elections

Dark Money

An ex-girlfriend of embattled Maine Democratic Senate nominee Graham Platner accused him Tuesday of repeatedly removing condoms without her consent during sex, according to a report by <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/07/07/ex-girlfriend-graham-platner-says-he-removed-condoms-without-consent/?utm_campaign=wp_main&amp;utm_source=twitter&amp;utm_medium=social">The Washington Post.</a>
Lyndsey Fifield, who dated Platner in Washington, D.C., from 2013 to 2015 and has previously accused him of physical abuse, claimed he ignored her pleas to wear protection during sex. She said she was not using birth control.
“He would pull condoms off,” she told The Post. “He would do it in a sneaky way. He wouldn’t tell me.”
Platner allegedly removed condoms without Fifield&#8217;s consent at least six times in D.C. during their roughly two-year relationship. 
The practice, commonly referred to as &#8220;stealthing,&#8221; has been recognized in some jurisdictions as a form of sexual battery. There is no federal law criminalizing the practice, though a <a href="https://19thnews.org/2026/04/stealthing-nonconsensual-condom-removal/">handful of states</a>, including Maine, Washington, and Vermont, have enacted laws addressing it. 
The Platner campaign called the allegation &#8220;categorically false and politically motivated,&#8221; according to the outlet. The campaign also noted that Fifield, who has worked in Republican politics, publicly supported Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh when he faced allegations of sexual assault, which he vigorously denied.  
Fifield told The Washington Post she first disclosed the allegation during an off-the-record interview on June 20 before later deciding to go public. She said she decided to come forward to support fellow Platner accuser Jenny Racicot, who <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/a-new-sexual-assault-accusation-rocks-maine-democrat-graham-platner?author=Jacob+Wheeler&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=3&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=A+New+Sexual+Assault+Accusation+Rocks+Maine+Democrat+Graham+Platner">detailed disturbing allegations</a> of rape to Politico and CNN.
“I confronted him both during and after [sex] because he knew that I was not on birth control and how dangerous that was,” she told The Post. 
In June, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/04/us/politics/platner-maine-senate-girlfriends-relationships.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share">The New York Times</a> cited several ex-girlfriends who claimed Platner engaged in a pattern of “intimidating and disturbing” behavior in their relationships and lied about not knowing the meaning of his Nazi tattoo. 
Three of the women, including Fifield, described volatile and “toxic” relationships with the Senate hopeful, claiming he demeaned women, became physically threatening, and was repeatedly unfaithful. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/04/us/politics/platner-maine-senate-girlfriends-relationships.html">In that report</a>, Fifield accused Platner of twisting her arm, shoving her into a bedroom, and holding the door shut until she became “calm.” 
At the time, the Platner campaign denied the report and rushed to MS NOW to do damage control. 
“There are some allegations in this piece that I just want to be kind of unequivocal about, are simply not true,” <a href="https://x.com/Acyn/status/2062688362633498661?s=20">Platner said on the leftist television network.</a> “Anything alleging physicality, anything alleging that I knew what my tattoo was, these are the statements of someone who’s politically motivated.”
The latest revelations come as Platner is <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/graham-platner-has-a-price-for-dropping-out-report?author=Jacob+Wheeler&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Graham+Platner+Has+A+Price+For+Dropping+Out%3A+Report">reportedly</a> refusing to step aside unless Democrats let him choose his replacement.
Over the past 24 hours, Democrats and leftists have called on Platner to drop out of the race. 
“I have spoken with Graham Platner about the best path forward for Maine. In light of these very serious allegations, I have recommended that he step aside,” Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) <a href="https://x.com/BernieSanders/status/2074532964059197651?s=20">said Tuesday</a>. 
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee would not dedicate financial resources to the election if Platner is the nominee.
“The DSCC will not invest in the Maine Senate race if Platner remains on the ballot,” Schumer said in a statement with fellow Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY). 
Maine Democrats have until July 13 to replace him on the ballot, leaving the party just days to settle on a new nominee to challenge incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins.

Maine Senate Candidate Graham Platner Holds His Primary Election Night Event

Ex-Girlfriend Claims Platner Removed Condoms During Sex Without Her Consent

Elections

Embattled Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner is reportedly refusing to step aside unless Democrats let him choose his replacement. 
<a href="https://nypost.com/2026/07/07/us-news/accused-rapist-graham-platner-lists-demands-to-dems-as-he-weighs-dropping-out-of-maine-senate-race/">The New York Post</a>, citing a source close to the campaign, reported Tuesday that Platner, who has been <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/a-new-sexual-assault-accusation-rocks-maine-democrat-graham-platner?author=Jacob+Wheeler&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=2&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=A+New+Sexual+Assault+Accusation+Rocks+Maine+Democrat+Graham+Platner">accused of rape</a>, wants to handpick his successor and is insisting the replacement align with his anti-Israel and left-wing views. 
Over the past 24 hours, Democrats and leftists have called on Platner to drop out of the race. 
“I have spoken with Graham Platner about the best path forward for Maine. In light of these very serious allegations, I have recommended that he step aside,” Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) <a href="https://x.com/BernieSanders/status/2074532964059197651?s=20">said Tuesday</a>. 
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee would not dedicate financial resources to the election if Platner is the nominee.
“The DSCC will not invest in the Maine Senate race if Platner remains on the ballot,” Schumer said in a statement with fellow Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY). 
For now, Platner remains in control of his political future. 
In June, he decisively won the Democratic nomination with <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2026/us/elections/results-maine-primary.html">more than 70%</a> of the vote. Maine Democrats have until July 13 to replace him on the ballot, leaving the party just days to settle on a new nominee to challenge incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins. 
“This vibes to me like a play from Bernie Sanders to slide in Troy Jackson,” another source told The Post. 
Jackson, the leading replacement for Platner, has also been hit with assault allegations, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/leading-dsa-candidate-to-replace-platner-accused-of-hitting-female-colleague-during-argument?author=Zach+Stark&amp;category=undefined&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=3&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+News&amp;rowType=Vertical+Carousel&amp;title=Leading+DSA+Candidate+To+Replace+Platner+Accused+Of+Hitting+Female+Colleague+During+Argument">The Daily Wire</a> previously reported. 
The DSA-affiliated Maine politician was also accused of physical assault on Tuesday by the political organization Progressive Victory, which works with left-wing politicians and influencers to organize grassroots support for leftist causes.
“Troy Jackson in a heated disagreement struck a female colleague with a bottle he threw at her. There are many witnesses and it appears this is a widespread open secret within Maine politics and not an isolated incident,” said Progressive Victory in a social media <a href="https://x.com/ProgressiveVic/status/2074320341929726172">post</a>.  
The group detailed “troubling information” it had received about Jackson.
“In our discussions we have received troubling information about not only Jackson’s behavior, but the behavior of many prominent Maine Democrats toward women more broadly,” the organization wrote. “Both as a result of the credibility of the sources and in the interest of not seeing our movement make the same mistake twice, we are choosing to share some of this now.”
Jackson has yet to comment on the allegations but has already launched an exploratory committee to potentially replace his friend, Platner, on the ballot, according to <a href="https://x.com/yashar/status/2074548332576587788?s=20">FEC filings</a>.
“This is a very, very serious allegation,” Jackson <a href="https://www.bangordailynews.com/2026/07/06/politics/elections/inside-the-democratic-jockeying-to-replace-graham-platner/">said</a> of the accusations against Platner. “This is something I never considered, but if Graham’s stepping away, I am very, very interested and think I’m the best person to replace him.”

Democratic Candidate Graham Platner Holds A Town Hall As He Campaigns for Senate In Maine

Graham Platner Has A Price For Dropping Out: Report

In the hours since one of Graham Platner&#8217;s former girlfriends accused him of rape, the Maine Democrat has lost the support of the state and national party, as well as nearly every prominent figure who stuck with him through his scandal-plagued campaign.
But he can still count on Stephen King.
&#8220;Graham Platner may drop out. (I hope he doesn&#8217;t, but.),&#8221; the septuagenarian horror writer and Maine resident posted on X. &#8220;Meanwhile, the Abuser in Chief just keeps on keepin&#8217; on.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Graham Platner may drop out. (I hope he doesn&#8217;t, but.) Meanwhile, the Abuser in Chief just keeps on keepin&#8217; on.
— Stephen King (@StephenKing) <a href="https://x.com/StephenKing/status/2074249718662586743?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 6, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
King, a former cocaine addict whose 1986 novel &#8220;It&#8221; depicts group sex among minors, has long promoted Democrats and leftwing causes on social media. But his defense of Platner — as well as his attempt to shift the focus to President Donald Trump&#8217;s alleged misdeeds — leaves him prominent among a rapidly dwindling group of supporters.
On Monday, Politico published a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/a-new-sexual-assault-accusation-rocks-maine-democrat-graham-platner?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Jacob+Wheeler&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=A+New+Sexual+Assault+Accusation+Rocks+Maine+Democrat+Graham+Platner">bombshell report</a> in which 41-year-old Maine resident Jenny Racicot recounts how Platner drunkenly broke into her house in 2021 and raped her. The report, which includes corroborating evidence from Racicot and people with whom she shared the story, seems to have been the last straw for Democrats who stuck with Platner through revelations of his offensive social media posts, Nazi tattoo, presence on an app popular among sexual predators, and allegations of abuse from other women.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dems-ditch-platner-over-rape-claims?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Jacob+Wheeler&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=3&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=Dems+Ditch+Platner+Over+Rape+Claims">demanded</a> that Platner drop out in a statement with fellow New York Democrat Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. The statement said that the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee — which Gillibrand chairs — &#8220;will not invest in the Maine Senate race if Platner remains on the ballot.&#8221;
The Maine Democrat has also lost support from Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) and Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), two of his earliest and most ardent backers. The Maine Democratic Party also withdrew its support, as did leftist podcaster Hasan Piker. Arizona Senator Ruben Gallego (D), embroiled in a controversy of his own, also called for Platner to drop out of the race.
Platner denied Racicot&#8217;s accusations in a <a href="https://x.com/grahamformaine/status/2074214272628916296?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">two-minute video message</a> shared to social media shortly after Politico&#8217;s story dropped.
“Any accusation of nonconsensual behavior is categorically false,” Platner said. “Regardless of the inaccuracy of the reporting, but mindful the political reality it will inflict, we are taking time to reflect on the best path forward.&#8221;
Maine Democrats face a <a href="https://legislature.maine.gov/statutes/21-a/title21-Asec374-A.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">July 13 deadline</a> to swap Platner for another Democrat to challenge incumbent Republican Senator Susan Collins.
Racicot told Politico that she &#8220;didn’t come forward sooner&#8221; due to &#8220;the huge moral conflict that I had between supporting his politics, but not supporting him as a person.&#8221; Seeing other women come forward motivated Racicot to speak out, she says, noting that “I just want the truth out there. I just want people to have a whole scope of who he is as a person.”
&#8220;Tell you what,&#8221; King wrote on X shortly after posting his initial statement of support. &#8220;If you knew the whole truth about everyone in the Senate and House of Reps, those chambers would be dead empty. Jesus said, &#8216;Let him without sin cast the first stone.'&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Tell you what&#8211;if you knew the whole truth about everyone in the Senate and House of Reps, those chambers would be dead empty. Jesus said, &#8220;Let him without sin cast the first stone.&#8221;
— Stephen King (@StephenKing) <a href="https://x.com/StephenKing/status/2074250145470812596?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 6, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Two years ago this week, King urged President Joe Biden to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/leftist-author-stephen-king-says-biden-should-bow-out-of-race?author=Amanda+Harding&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Leftist+Author+Stephen+King+Says+Biden+Should+Bow+Out+Of+Race">drop out</a> of the presidential race.

Stephen King

One Of The Left’s Biggest Cultural Icons Is Still With Platner

Rape

With Democrats abandoning Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner after new sexual assault accusations dropped on Monday, the party is evaluating options on how to move forward with the general election less than four months away.
There is still time for Maine Democrats to replace Platner on November&#8217;s general election ballot.
If Platner were to withdraw by 5 p.m. next Monday, July 13, Democrats would then have until 5 p.m. on Monday, July 27, to select a new nominee. Maine Democrats would not hold another primary. Instead, party officials would choose a replacement. The deadlines are designed to give election officials enough time to finalize and print general election ballots.
If Platner remains in the race after the July 13 cutoff, Democrats cannot replace him, and his name will remain on the November ballot. Maine law allows later replacements only if the candidate dies or suffers an incapacitating illness or injury.
Similar to Democrats replacing President Joe Biden with Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential race, Maine Democrats could choose a new nominee without holding another primary.
Platner, who easily won last month&#8217;s Democratic primary, is trying to unseat incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins in one of the cycle&#8217;s most closely watched Senate races. His campaign was thrown into turmoil after former girlfriends described his volatile behavior and claimed he knew the meaning behind his Nazi tattoo. On Monday, POLITICO published a report in which a woman accused him of raping her in 2021. Platner denied the claim.
The accusation led multiple Democrats, including Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA), Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), and the Maine Democratic Party, to call on Platner to withdraw.
In a video released Monday, he said the accusation was false and added that he was taking time to &#8220;reflect on the best path forward.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
<a href="https://t.co/9itIt4Mw25">pic.twitter.com/9itIt4Mw25</a>
— Graham Platner for Senate (@grahamformaine) <a href="https://x.com/grahamformaine/status/2074214272628916296?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 6, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
That leaves Maine Democrats with less than a week to determine whether to continue <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dems-ditch-platner-over-rape-claims">pressuring</a> him to step aside or prepare to move forward with him as the party&#8217;s nominee.

Maine Democratic Candidate For Senate Graham Platner Campaigns Across The State

Can Democrats Still Replace Graham Platner? Yes, But It’s Complicated

Democrats nationwide have bailed on embattled Maine Senate Democratic candidate Graham Platner after a bombshell report accused the leftist oyster farmer of rape. 
<a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2026/07/06/graham-platner-sexual-assault-allegation-00987737">Politico</a> interviewed 41-year-old Maine resident Jenny Racicot, who accused Platner of breaking into her house in 2021 and sexually assaulting her. In a one-two punch, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2026/07/06/us/graham-platner-racicot-allegation-maine-invs?cid=ios_app">CNN</a> released an interview with Racicot, who described the alleged assault as rape. 
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) demanded that Platner drop out, calling the rape claims “incredibly disturbing.” Platner’s decisive primary victory in June dealt a major blow to Schumer, who recruited and backed Maine Democratic Governor Janet Mills. 
“The DSCC will not invest in the Maine Senate race if Platner remains on the ballot,” Schumer said in a statement with fellow Sen. Kristen Gillibrand (D-NY). 
Rep. Ro Khana (D-CA), who has previously defended and attached himself to Platner, also pulled the plug. 
“I’ve been very clear that sexual assault or violence against women is a red line,” Khanna said. “These allegations are very serious and credible. Graham Platner should drop out from the race. I am withdrawing my endorsement.” 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
I’ve been very clear that sexual assault or violence against women is a red line. These allegations are very serious and credible. Graham Platner should drop out from the race. I am withdrawing my endorsement.
— Ro Khanna (@RoKhanna) <a href="https://x.com/RoKhanna/status/2074242263710917062?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 6, 2026</a></blockquote>
Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) <a href="https://x.com/RubenGallego/status/2074242801953386923?s=20">also bailed</a> on the Maine Democrat. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The allegations against Graham Platner are troubling and deeply serious.
I am rescinding my endorsement.
— Ruben Gallego (@RubenGallego) <a href="https://x.com/RubenGallego/status/2074242801953386923?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 6, 2026</a></blockquote>
Hasan Piker, the leftist streamer working overtime to elect socialist candidates, predicted the end of Platner’s campaign. 
&#8220;That is curtains. That is the trifecta. Okay, that is the trifecta of a reliable allegation. It’s holy sh*t&#8230;I believe this, this accusation. I believe this allegation,&#8221; Piker said, <a href="https://x.com/wsteaks/status/2074222242574012741?s=20">according to Politico.</a> 
The <a href="https://x.com/MaineDems/status/2074249756449140867?s=20">Maine Democratic Party</a> also called on Platner to drop out of the race against incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins. 
As of Monday afternoon, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) has not publicly weighed in on the bombshell. 
Previously, Sanders <a href="https://x.com/RNCResearch/status/2074246282546135486?s=20">drew a line</a> in the sand: “I&#8217;m going to do everything I can to make sure that Graham Platner is the next senator from the state of Maine,&#8221; he said. 
On the campaign trail, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) embraced Platner in endearing terms. 
“That’s my kind of man,” she <a href="https://x.com/KaeleyGemmill/status/2045645926392357373?s=20">said</a> before Platner clinched the Democratic nomination. Now, she wants him gone. 
“With 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,” Warren <a href="https://x.com/alivitali/status/2074279006262755644?s=20">said</a> in a statement Monday evening.
The turmoil comes after Racicot told Politico she had an on-and-off relationship with Platner for more than two years before “he entered her rural Maine home uninvited” in late 2021. She described Platner as “deeply intoxicated,” claiming he forced himself on her despite repeatedly telling him to stop. 
“I remember him grabbing my pelvis and being really forceful of me,” she said to Politico. “I remember the specific moment where I thought to myself, like, ‘This is no longer my choice.’” 
Racicot said she felt compelled to come forward after other women raised allegations against Platner.
“One of the reasons I didn’t come forward sooner was, the huge moral conflict that I had between supporting his politics, but not supporting him as a person,” she said to Politico. “I just want the truth out there. I just want people to have a whole scope of who he is as a person.”
The woman told POLITICO she connected with Platner on the dating app Bumble in 2019 and had consensual sex with him before the night he allegedly assaulted her. On that night in 2021, she described an “almost blackout drunk” Platner getting on top of her.
“I had been telling him these words, like: ‘No, don’t,’” she recalled to Politico. “And, the look on his face and realizing what was happening, I just realized that, like, I am in a situation where there’s no consent here,” she said.
Weeks after the alleged assault, Racicot said she “struggled with shock and confusion” and did not file a police report. The outlet reviewed messages she sent to friends and spoke to partners who appeared to support her account.
Platner denied the accusations, telling Politico: “These allegations are troubling, serious, and false.” Minutes after the story was published, Platner took to social media.
“Any accusation of nonconsensual behavior is categorically false,” he said in a <a href="https://x.com/grahamformaine/status/2074214272628916296?s=20">two-minute video message</a>. “Regardless of the inaccuracy of the reporting, but mindful the political reality it will inflict, we are taking time to reflect on the best path forward…”
Maine Democrats face a <a href="https://legislature.maine.gov/statutes/21-a/title21-Asec374-A.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com">July 13 deadline</a> to swap Platner for another Democrat to challenge incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins.
“These allegations are appalling. Nevertheless, it is not up to me to choose the Democratic nominee for Senate,” Sen. Collins said in response to the scandal.

Dems Ditch Platner Over Rape Claims

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