The limits of partisan loyalty: Graham Platner and the politics of character

Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner, who won his primary with 72% of the vote despite multiple controversies, faces new calls to withdraw after an ex-girlfriend told Politico he raped her in 2021. Jenny Racicot, a Democrat, said she delayed coming forward because she shared Platner's politics despite opposing him personally, and because earlier reporting had focused on discrediting another accuser's credibility. The case exemplifies a broader pattern in American politics where candidates and officials have escaped accountability for personal misconduct by citing policy alignment or dismissing allegations as politically motivated.