Bernie Sanders

PORTLAND, Maine -- Sen. Bernie Sanders on Tuesday became the latest and most notable lawmaker to pull support for Maine Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Graham Platner after a sexual assault accusation, adding to a chorus of calls for him to step aside as party leaders scramble to determine the next steps.

Sanders, a Vermont independent who caucuses with Democrats, has long backed Platner in the high-stakes race against Republican Sen. Susan Collins, but he said in a statement that he spoke with the candidate and "in light of these very serious allegations, I have recommended that he step aside."

Platner, who denies the claim, posted a video Monday saying he was considering the next steps for his campaign while canceling town hall events.

Platner posted the video after reports that a woman who previously dated the first-time candidate said he drunkenly forced her to have sex after she told him to stop.

The seriousness of the assault claim has put the Maine contest -- and Democrats' ability to win control of the Senate -- at risk.

Platner, an oyster farmer, became a populist hero among the party's left flank, pulling far ahead of an establishment-backed candidate, Gov. Janet Mills, in the primary.

Jenny Racicot, who lives in Maine, told Politico that Platner entered her home in 2021 while drunk and assaulted her. Racicot said she had been in an on-and-off relationship with Platner, but she cut off contact with him after that night and told him the incident wasn't consensual. She said in a CNN interview Monday evening that she opted not to fight back for fear of Platner, a former Marine, becoming more violent.

The pressure for Platner to withdraw from the Senate race has only increased given the short deadlines Maine law allows for replacing general election candidates.

There is no mechanism for Democrats to remove Platner from the ballot, meaning Platner must first opt to drop out of the general election before a replacement can be selected. The deadline to withdraw is 5 p.m. Monday.

Just who should replace Platner if he drops out appeared to be further splintering Democrats. Some argued the next Democrat should echo Platner's progressive messaging, pointing to his success at rallying voters across the state. Others cautioned that having ties to Platner will only doom an already uphill campaign against Collins.

Joe Baldacci, a Democratic state senator, said he's concerned about what the latest accusations will do to the voter excitement over the past year.

"I think the major concern, even with a nominee, a new replacement, is that person is going to start very much behind the eight ball," Baldacci added.

Mills, who sought the Democratic nomination but dropped out before the June 9 primary, could be considered as a nominee. Mills was supported by Democratic Senate leader Charles Schumer but abandoned her campaign saying she couldn't raise the money needed to compete.

Another possible replacement is Troy Jackson, Maine's former state Senate president, who unsuccessfully ran to be the Democratic gubernatorial nominee earlier this year with the backing of Platner and Sanders.

While Jackson hasn't publicly said he'd run for the Maine Senate seat, he did file paperwork Tuesday to launch a Senate exploratory committee with the Federal Election Committee.

Our Revolution, the organization Sanders founded, said Tuesday that it is backing Jackson in an early push to get a progressive out front.

"Remember: Progressives overwhelmingly won the primary. A progressive MUST be on the ballot," the organization said in a fundraising email, which described Jackson as a logger and union leader who helmed Sanders' past presidential efforts in Maine.

Another possible contender, Nirav Shah, the former director of Maine's Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said Tuesday that he was "evaluating" whether to join the race should Platner depart. Shah came in second in this year's Maine Democratic gubernatorial primary, where he was considered more moderate compared with Jackson.

Jordan Wood, a former U.S. Senate candidate who then switched to unsuccessfully run for Maine's 2nd District, posted Tuesday that he was "continuing conversations" with voters about joining the race.

Other names include Shenna Bellows, the current Maine secretary of state; Dan Kleban, founder of Maine Beer Co.; Maine U.S. Rep. Jared Golden, who is not running for reelection; and Hannah Pingree, currently Maine's Democratic gubernatorial nominee.