格雷厄姆·普拉特纳于周五正式提交文件，退出美国缅因州联邦参议员竞选。就在几天前，他因一起性侵指控宣布暂停竞选活动，而他本人始终否认这项指控。
普拉特纳在社交平台X上发帖，公开了他致缅因州州务卿办公室的正式退选信函。信中写道：“我特此正式撤回我作为美国参议院候选人的参选资格。”
缅因州州务卿办公室随后发布新闻稿，确认已收到这份正式退选通知。这场参议院选举原本是全美最受关注的选战之一，是民主党人夺回参议院控制权的关键席位。
今年6月，普拉特纳以超过70%的得票率赢得缅因州民主党初选，获得了在11月大选中挑战现任共和党籍参议员苏珊·柯林斯的资格。本周早些时候，有消息人士向美国广播公司新闻透露，普拉特纳已私下告知竞选团队工作人员，计划在退选截止日——周一当天正式提交退选文件。
普拉特纳退选前，面临来自民主党内部越来越大的压力，就连最初公开支持他的参议员伯尼·桑德斯和伊丽莎白·沃伦也在施压。此前他的竞选主打“局外人”人设，核心主张是对抗财富不平等。
本周一，美国政治新闻网站Politico发布报道，他的前女友珍妮·拉西科特指控，五年前两人交往期间，普拉特纳在她多次明确要求停止后，仍强迫她发生性关系。普拉特纳始终否认这项指控，称其“完全是虚假的”。
关于缅因州民主党推选新候选人大会的关键信息
普拉特纳正式退选数小时后，缅因州民主党宣布，将于7月25日召开特别代表大会推选新的参议员候选人，距离7月27日的法定候选人提名截止日仅剩两天。
本次大会将由来自缅因州16个县的601名代表组成：其中101人是由缅因州选民选举产生的民主党州委员会成员，剩余500人由各县自行指派代表。投票将采用多轮淘汰制，直到有候选人获得过半数支持，大会全程将对外直播。
缅因州民主党州委员会主席查理·丁曼在发布大会细节的新闻稿中表示：“本次大会将秉持公平、广泛代表性和最大程度透明的原则，所有人将凝聚力量，朝着我们的最终目标前进：击败苏珊·柯林斯，拿下这个参议院席位。”
在退选声明中，普拉特纳写道，缅因州选民渴望变革，希望推动实现美国梦。他表示：“民众迫切希望改变，希望这个失灵的体系得到修正，希望美国的发展理念能继续向前推进。选票上虽然印着我的名字，但这条参选通道本就属于缅因州全体民众。”
自参选以来，普拉特纳已卷入多起丑闻：包括向多名女性发送露骨色情短信，以及此前身上带有纳粹符号纹身。普拉特纳辩解称，自己当初不知道这个纹身和纳粹有关，得知含义后就立刻将其遮盖。针对色情短信的相关报道，他回应称自己和妻子“曾因我的过错经历了一段艰难时期”，还表示“民众不关心八卦和头条，他们只关心你是否在为他们的医院、收入和孩子奋斗”。
Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner officially withdraws from race
Graham Platner formally withdrewfrom the Maine Senate raceon Friday, days after he announced he was suspending his campaign in the wake of a sexual assault allegation, which he has denied.
Platner shared his letter to the Maine Secretary of State's office in a post on X.
"I write to formally withdraw my candidacy for the United States Senate," the letter reads.
The Maine Secretary of State's office confirmed via a press release that it has received the formal notice of withdrawal from the race, which had been one of the most closely watched in the country as Democrats seek to take back the Senate.
Platnerwon the state's Democratic primaryin June with more than 70% of the vote to challenge Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins in the general election in November.
Earlier this week, a source told ABC News that Platner privately told staff that he planned to officially file the paperwork to withdraw from the race on Monday -- the last day he could do so.
Platner's exit from the race came after growing pressure from Democrats, including Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, who were early supporters of his campaign, which focused on being an outsider who could take on wealth inequality.
On Monday, Politico published a report containing an allegation from Jenny Racicot, a former girlfriend, that Platner forced her into having sex without her consent after repeatedly telling him to stop while they were dating five years ago.
Platner has continued to deny the allegation, calling it "categorically false."
What to know about Maine Democratic convention to pick new nominee
Hours after Platner formally withdrew from the race, the Maine Democratic Party announced it would hold a convention to choose a new nominee on July 25 -- just two days before a July 27 deadline.
The convention will be made up of 601 delegates from Maine's 16 counties. Of those, 101 will be members of the Democratic State Committee, who are elected by Maine voters. The remaining 500 will be delegates appointed from each county.
Voting will be conducted in rounds until one candidate receives a majority, and the convention will be livestreamed.
"The convention will be fair, representative, and as transparent as possible as we all come together in service of our ultimate goal: defeat Susan Collins and win this Senate seat," Maine Democratic State Committee Chair Charlie Dingman said in a news release announcing details of the convention.
In his notice of withdrawal, Platner writes that Maine voters want change and to further the American dream.
"People are desperate for change," he wrote. For this broken system to be righted. For the American experiment to be furthered."
"My name may have been on the ballot, but that ballot line belongs to the people of Maine," he wrote in the letter with his formal withdrawal from the race.
Platnerfacedseveralscandalssince he launched his campaign, includingsendingsexually explicit texts to multiple women and previously having a tattoo with Nazi symbolism. Platner said he didn't know his tattoo had a Nazi association and covered it up when he learned about its meaning.
Platner responded to report about his explicit text messages, saying he and his wife "went through something hard -- because of me"and added that "people don't care about gossip or headlines, they care that you're fighting for their hospitals, their paycheck, their kids."
