Platner ‘betrayed’ the people of Maine: Former Biden aide

Neera Tanden, a political consultant and former Biden adviser, criticized how former Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner handled his dramatic exit from the race on Wednesday.

Platner announced he was stepping down as the Democratic candidate in a lengthy video shared on social media.

His decision followed an intense pressure campaign from Democratic lawmakers and state party officials for him to end his campaign after a woman the candidate used to date accused Platner of sexually assaulting her while he was drunk in 2021.

In his video, Platner strongly denied the accusation, which was first reported by Politico, and suggested it was brought forward to force his exit from the race.

Tanden slammed Platner’s handling of the serious allegation, calling it “a horrifying tragedy on so many levels” in an interview with MS NOW on Wednesday evening.

“He’s angry at the world, but it’s his own actions that have caused the situation that we’re in, and I feel like the fact that he takes zero responsibility of that really enrages me,” Tanden said.

She called Platner’s video announcing the suspension of his campaign “disturbing.”

“I find it sort of tragic that after all the destruction and wreckage, he’s going out by basically trying to torch Democrats,” Tanden said.

She expressed hope that the state’s Democratic Party can find a replacement who can beat incumbent GOP Sen. Susan Collins in the November midterm election. The party has until July 27 to name a new candidate.

“But I do feel the people I feel the worst for in this situation are people who felt hope about this campaign,” she continued. “And I do think the process has to ensure that people who felt hope in this campaign … and about change in Maine have a voice in that process.”

Several Democrats in the state have already put themselves forward as possible options to become the party’s nominee, including former state Senate President Troy Jackson, Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows and former Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention Director Nirav Shah. All three were candidates for governor in the Democratic primary, losing to Hannah Pingree.

Tanden suggested Platner should play a role in supporting whoever is tapped to take his spot on the ballot this November.

“He’s caused a lot of pain to a lot of people who put their hopes in him, and those people are the ones who need to find hope again,” Tanden said. “And I think it’s his responsibility to be part of not destroying everything around him but actually helping build support for whoever the nominee is in the future.”