Pressure is growing on Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner after a woman accused him of sexual assault. The allegation has led many senior Democrats to call for him to leave the race for the US Senate seat in Maine. Platner has strongly denied the accusation. He said the claims are false and insisted he has never engaged in non-consensual behavior. Even with his denial, many party leaders said the seriousness of the allegation means he should step aside while the matter is addressed. Several leading Democrats quickly ended their support for Platner after the accusation became public. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer and Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee chair Kirsten Gillibrand released a joint statement urging Platner to immediately withdraw from the race. They described the allegations as deeply disturbing and said violence, abuse, and sexual assault are unacceptable. They also said the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee would not spend money on the Maine Senate race if Platner remains the party's nominee. The leadership of the Maine Democratic Party also called on Platner to leave the race. Representative Ro Khanna, who had supported Platner during his campaign, withdrew his endorsement. He said allegations of sexual assault must be taken seriously and called on Platner to step aside. Senator Elizabeth Warren also withdrew her support. She said there should be no tolerance for sexual assault and that Platner should deal with the allegations outside the Senate campaign. Senators Ruben Gallego and Martin Heinrich also ended their endorsements and said Platner should no longer remain the Democratic nominee. The accusation came from Jenny Racicot, who said she had an on-and-off relationship with Platner for more than two years. She alleged that in late 2021 Platner entered her home without permission while intoxicated and forced her to have sex despite her repeated objections. Racicot said she stopped all contact with Platner after the incident. She also said she later shared her account with another person, spoke about it with her therapist, and warned an acquaintance about Platner in 2023 through messages. No police report was filed at the time of the alleged incident. Racicot said she was reluctant to speak publicly because she struggled with supporting Platner's political ideas while also believing she needed to tell her own story. She said she did not speak about the alleged assault earlier because she did not want to be publicly identified as a sexual assault survivor. Platner has denied every allegation against him. He said the accusations are serious but completely false. He stated that any claim of non-consensual behavior is untrue. His campaign also defended him. It argued that political opponents were trying to damage his campaign before an important election deadline. The campaign claimed the accusations were part of a coordinated political attack and said Platner would continue fighting for Maine voters. In a video message, Platner thanked supporters for standing by him. He said he was considering the best path forward for the people of Maine and his campaign. He added that he remained focused on the goal of defeating Republican Senator Susan Collins in the general election. Platner is an oyster farmer and former Marine veteran who won the Democratic nomination earlier this year. He built his campaign around a populist message and called for changes that he said would help working families in Maine. Before the latest allegation, Platner had already faced criticism over old social media posts and a tattoo linked to Nazi imagery. He later covered the tattoo and said he did not understand its meaning when he first got it. Earlier this year, several women also described what they called unsettling behavior during past relationships with Platner. Those reports did not include the current sexual assault allegation, but they renewed public attention after the latest accusation became public. Republican Senator Susan Collins also responded to the reports. She called the allegations appalling but said it was not her role to decide who should become the Democratic nominee for the Senate race. The controversy has created uncertainty for Democrats in Maine. Under state election law, Platner must withdraw by 5 p.m. Eastern Time on July 13 if the Democratic Party wants to replace him on the ballot. If he steps aside before the deadline, party officials would have until July 27 to select a new nominee. The race is expected to remain closely watched in the months ahead. Platner has not announced whether he will remain in the contest. His decision will determine whether Democrats move forward with their current nominee or choose another candidate before the legal deadline.