Republicans prepare $8 million ad campaign against possible Platner replacement

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Republicans are preparing to launch an $8 million ad blitz against the candidate selected to replace Maine Senate Democratic nominee Graham Platner in the wake of sexual assault allegations.

The Super PAC Pine Tree Results spent $2 million in May on YouTube and television ads bashing Platner and still has $8 million left to fight a new Democratic nominee months ahead of the November General election, according to a report from Axios.

Platner is facing calls to step aside from the race to replace incumbent Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), after he was accused of raping two of his ex-girlfriends.

Lyndsey Fifield, who previously dated the Senate candidate, claimed Platner raped her in 2021 by pulling off a condom during sex, while another ex-girlfriend, Jenny Racicot, told Politico Platner forced her to have sex with him while he was intoxicated.

Platner has denied wrongdoing and has not yet exited the race, despite losing support from the Maine Democratic Party and Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), among others.

The Senate Majority PAC tied to Democrats has already pulled its $33 million investment in Maine from Platner with intentions to redirect funds as they encouraged the embattled nominee to drop out of the race.

Devon Murphy-Anderson, executive director of the Maine Democratic Party, said the group remains “hyper focused on developing a representative, transparent and inclusive process to select a new nominee when he chooses to withdraw from the race.”

However, some of Platner’s staffers, including his campaign manager Ben Chin and organizing director Spencer Toth, say they’ve been excluded from efforts to select a replacement.

Toth resigned from the Maine Democratic Party on Wednesday, citing its lack of engagement with grassroots organizers and volunteers.

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Bernie Sanders

Elizabeth Warren

GOP Sen. Susan Collins

Graham Platner

Kirsten Gillibrand

Maine Democratic Party

Maine Senate race

republicans

Susan Collins

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