New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani called on Maine Democratic Senate nominee Graham Platner to withdraw from the race after new sexual assault allegations against the progressive candidate surfaced Monday.
“I believe that it’s time for him to drop out of the race,” Mamdani told reporters when asked whether he planned to endorse candidates outside New York. “When it comes to my own endorsements, I’ve made eight endorsements at the state and federal level. They’ve all been right here in New York City. I’m incredibly excited at the fact that they won their races, and that’s where my focus is for now.
“You know, I think the focus of today should be to respond to the gravity of what so many of us have read, and I think that the only appropriate response is for the campaign to come to an end,” the mayor said.
Mamdani joined a growing list of prominent Democrats who have withdrawn their support for Platner following the allegations. On Monday, a former girlfriend accused Platner of sexually assaulting her while he was intoxicated five years ago.
The allegations prompted several high-profile Democrats to call for Platner to end his campaign, including Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) and Sens. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA). The Maine Democratic Party also urged him to step aside.
“Over the past several weeks, multiple women have made serious, credible allegations against Graham Platner,” the party’s leadership said in a statement. “Today’s statements take those allegations even further. Maine Democratic Party leadership is calling on Graham Platner to withdraw as the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate.”
Platner has not withdrawn from the race but acknowledged he is considering his next step.
“We are taking the time to reflect on the best path forward for the state that I love, the people that I love, the movement I belong to, and the goal of defeating Susan Collins,” Platner said in a video statement.
REVEALED: SEXUAL ASSAULT ALLEGATION FRACTURES GRAHAM PLATNER’S FAITHFUL ONLINE FOLLOWING
On Tuesday, Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) also rescinded her endorsement.
“I am withdrawing my endorsement of Graham Platner and calling on him to exit the race immediately so that he can be replaced by a progressive fighter who will deliver for the people and help win back the Senate,” Tlaib wrote. “These allegations are devastating and must be taken seriously.”