Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Graham Platner has suspended his campaign for Maine’s U.S. Senate seat after a bombshell sexual assault allegation triggered an avalanche of calls from Democratic leaders for him to step aside. Platner has strongly denied the allegation, insisting he is innocent.

Platner’s campaign had already been engulfed in controversy long before the latest allegation surfaced.

The progressive candidate drew national headlines after photos emerged of a chest tattoo resembling the Nazi SS Totenkopf (“Death’s Head”) symbol. Platner claimed he received the tattoo years ago while serving in the Marines and did not realize its association with Nazi Germany at the time. He later covered the tattoo after the controversy erupted, though critics questioned his explanation.

He also faced backlash over resurfaced social media posts, inflammatory comments, and interviews that drew accusations of antisemitism. During the campaign, Platner repeatedly accused Israel of committing “genocide” in Gaza, called for ending U.S. military aid to Israel, and promoted claims about pro-Israel influence in American politics that many Jewish organizations condemned. He also faced criticism for amplifying content from extremist figures before later deleting some of the posts.

Despite the growing pressure, Platner maintained that every allegation against him is false.

In a video announcing the suspension of his campaign, he said:

“I’m suspending campaign operations. All we were asking for was healthcare, and to end the genocide, to use our taxpayer dollars at home to uplift our community versus waste overseas. I learned about these allegations through press inquiries with no time to truly respond, no time for investigations before a corporate media system and the political establishment got to act as judge, jury, and executioner. Accusations are supposed to be the beginning of things, not the end.”

The suspension comes just days after a woman publicly accused Platner of sexually assaulting her in 2021. The allegation prompted numerous Democratic officials and former supporters to withdraw their endorsements and urge him to exit the race. Platner has categorically denied the accusation.

Following his announcement, the Maine Democratic Party confirmed it will convene to choose a replacement nominee before the state’s election deadline, ensuring Democrats will still field a candidate against incumbent Republican Senator Susan Collins in one of the nation’s most closely watched Senate races.