Reversal: Bernie Sanders Urges Platner to Withdraw
On July 7, 2026, Sen. Bernie Sanders said he spoke with Maine Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Graham Platner and urged him to "step aside," citing "very serious allegations" of sexual assault.
Sanders, an independent from Vermont and a longtime backer of Platner, said he personally called the candidate before issuing his public statement.
As of July 7, ABC News reported that Platner had not withdrawn from the race.
ABC News and Salon said calls from Democrats for Platner to end his campaign have mounted since the allegation became public.
Outlets differ on how the accusations are described: ABC News and CBS cite a single sexual assault allegation, WPTZ refers to "fresh allegations," and the New York Post characterizes them as "rape allegations."
Synthesized from 6 sources
VermontpublicABC NewsMainemorningstarNewscordNew York TimesNPR
AI-synthesized from multiple reported sources
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