Blattner, Maine Senate candidate, says campaign is deciding ‘best path forward’ after new sexual assault allegations

A woman who was previously in a relationship with Graham Blattner, the Democratic Senate candidate for Maine, said he drunkenly forced her to have sex after she asked him to stop, according to a Politico report released Monday, prompting prominent supporters to withdraw their endorsements and throwing a must-win race for the party into turmoil.

Blatner denied the allegation, but said he would consider his campaign’s next steps.

“No matter how inaccurate the reports are, but taking into account the political reality it will bring, we are taking the time to think about the best way forward,” he said in a video posted on social media.

Jenny Racicot, who lives in Maine, told Politico that Blatner entered her home in 2021 while drunk and assaulted her. Racicot said she had an on-and-off relationship with Plattner, but cut off contact with him after that night and told him the incident was not consensual. A voicemail left at a number listed for Racicot requesting comment did not receive an immediate response.

Blatner’s campaign did not immediately respond to an email and phone message from The Associated Press seeking comment.

“Any accusation of non-consensual conduct is categorically false,” Blattner said in his video.

However, the claim led to a distancing from the long-controversial candidate. Rep. Ro Khanna, a California Democrat who has stood by Blattner even when the insurgent candidate has faced previous accusations, said Monday was enough. “I have been very clear that sexual assault or violence against women is a red line,” Khanna said. “These allegations are extremely serious and credible. Graham Blatner should withdraw from the race. I am withdrawing my endorsement.”

Arizona Sen. Ruben Gallego also announced he would withdraw his endorsement, as did the Democratic-leaning political group End Citizens United.

Democratic leaders in the Maine state legislature called on Platner to withdraw, as did senior officials in the state Democratic Party.

“Over the past few weeks, multiple women have made serious and credible allegations against Graham Blatner. Today’s statements take these allegations even further,” party chair Charlie Dingman, vice chair Imke Schisler, and executive director Devon Murphy Anderson said in a joint statement.

The statement continued: “This Senate race comes at a pivotal moment in the struggle against a government, supported by Senator Collins, that serves the interests of the rich and powerful at the expense of ordinary Maine people. It is imperative that we refocus this campaign on this struggle.”

Blatner won Maine’s Democratic primary in April, but state law allows him to be replaced on the ballot if he withdraws by July 13. The replacement nominee must be named by July 27.

As of Monday, Blatner has canceled a number of city council meetings planned in Maine.

Blatner was a first-time candidate and won the primary with support from the party’s left wing. While some Democrats came to support him after his landslide primary victory, Blatner’s controversial history has already left others openly despairing of their chances of winning the race. Blattner, a Marine veteran who also worked for a private security contractor, has a tattoo on his chest identified as a Nazi symbol, has a history of controversial statements on social media, and is said to have sexted with other women shortly after his marriage.

In 2013, Blatner posted on Reddit that people shouldn’t get so drunk “that they end up having sex with someone they didn’t mean to,” and that victims of sexual assault should “take some responsibility for themselves.” He has since apologized for the post and says he no longer holds those beliefs.

Hassan Baker, a left-wing commentator who supports Blatner, appeared to reverse his position on Monday after the Politico report. “If new evidence comes to light, I will change my view – it’s that simple,” Baker said during a live stream on Twitch, adding: “This is a clear example of verifiable sexual assault allegations. It’s completely irreparable.”

Maine Democrats have long sought to unseat Republican Sen. Susan Collins, who held out despite representing a state that reliably votes for another party at the presidential level. After Collins’ strong win in 2020, many Maine Democrats missed the opportunity to challenge her this time and instead looked to other offices. That’s what makes Gov. Janet Mills, 78, the Democratic establishment’s best hope.

Blatner entered the political vacuum and presented himself as a blue-collar oyster man and veteran who could reach disaffected voters who supported President Donald Trump. But as the accusations against him mounted, some Democrats in the state felt the burn, embodied in Mills’ refusal to endorse Blatner after she withdrew from the primary. Chat has already begun to circulate about other potential replacements, including former state senator and logger Troy Jackson and Secretary of State Sheena Bellows.

“I knew this was coming,” said Mary Volitar, a Democrat and community organizer in Maine, speaking of growing whispers within the state’s young population that they were bracing for another discovery surrounding Platner. “I was scared and I was tired of waiting.”

The Associated Press generally does not mention victims of sexual assault, but in this case Racicot spoke in an interview with Politico.