Graham Platner Accused of Rape, Takes a 7-Day Break from Campaigning

A Maine political candidate has stepped back from the campaign trail for seven days after a woman came forward with accusations of rape from several years ago. Graham Platner announced the temporary break to give himself time to determine his next steps, canceling all scheduled appearances for the week.

The claims were made by Jenny Racicot, a 41-year-old Maine resident who had previously been in a relationship with Platner and shares similar political views. She publicly detailed the alleged incident, which she said occurred around five years earlier—before Platner entered politics. According to her account, Platner arrived at her home uninvited while intoxicated, disregarded her repeated refusals to engage in sexual activity, used physical force, and continued despite her objections. She stated that she was not using birth control at the time and had explicitly told him not to finish inside her.

Racicot said she had shared details of the encounter with others in 2021 and 2023 and had warned at least one acquaintance to avoid becoming involved with Platner when he had been drinking. She explained that she decided to speak out publicly now after seeing the backlash faced by another woman who had previously raised concerns about Platner’s behavior.

Platner has strongly rejected the allegations. He described them as false and stated that any suggestion of non-consensual conduct is entirely untrue. Shortly after the claims surfaced in a detailed report, he released a video response denying the accusations.

The story gained attention after Racicot participated in multiple interviews and provided supporting materials, including communications with a therapist and messages to others. The incident reportedly took place during a period when the two had already been intimate in the past.

Platner’s campaign has not indicated what he plans to do once the week-long pause ends.