Senate Candidate Pappas Finally Breaks Silence On Platner After Sexual Assault Allegation

By Michael Graham, NH Journal

It took a rape charge to convince Chris Pappas to close the door on Graham Platner.

A Nazi tattoo, praise for Hamas, anti-gay slurs and racist comments, and even a New York Times report on his treatment of women were not enough to push Pappas over the line and publicly reject the Maine Democrat’s candidacy.

Instead, Pappas spent weeks dodging questions about Platner’s fitness for office and whether he would be able to endorse him as the Democratic nominee challenging GOP Sen. Susan Collins.

That all ended Monday after Politico published an account from one of Platner’s former girlfriends, who accused him of raping her while he was intoxicated in 2021. Platner had already canceled public appearances in anticipation of the story’s release. Afterward, he announced he was “taking the time to reflect on the best path forward.”

Platner also released a video in which he denied the allegation, calling “any accusation of nonconsensual behavior” categorically false.

Within hours, Democratic leaders moved to distance themselves from the nominee.

The Maine Democratic Party called on Platner to withdraw from the race, citing what it described as serious and credible allegations. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, Rep. Ro Khanna, and Sen. Ruben Gallego were among the prominent Democrats who also urged Platner to step aside. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee said it would not support his candidacy if he remained on the ballot.

In New Hampshire, Republican U.S. Senate candidate John E. Sununu renewed his call for Pappas to take a public stand on Platner’s candidacy.

“For weeks, Chris Pappas has refused to condemn Graham Platner’s campaign, character, or conduct,” Sununu told NHJournal. “That needs to end today. Graham Platner does not represent New England values and is unfit to serve. Either Chris Pappas supports Platner, or he’s too scared of the radical left to do the right thing. Both are deeply wrong for New Hampshire.”

Finally, late Monday night, Pappas posted a single sentence on social media: “The allegations against Graham Platner are reprehensible, and he must step aside.”

Pappas did not respond to multiple requests for comment from NHJournal asking why the latest incident was intolerable, while previous controversies — including years-old anti-gay slurs and his wearing of a Nazi-style tattoo — were not enough to prompt a similar response.

Last month, news broke that Platner had told colleagues that if someone broke into his home, he would “rape them… but not in a ‘gay’ way.”

Pappas, who frequently highlights that he would become the first openly gay man elected to the U.S. Senate if successful, again avoided directly answering the question.

“I’m staying focused on this race in New Hampshire, and this is a live-and-let-live state,” Pappas said. “We put it right on the license plates. We take freedom incredibly seriously in New Hampshire. That means that you get to love who you want to love.”

After Pappas finally called for Platner to drop out, the Sununu campaign responded: “Looks like he finally spoke out after Maine Democratic Party did. No surprise, Chris Pappas always waits for the party bosses.”

Under Maine election law, Democrats can replace Platner on the general election ballot if he withdraws by July 13, with a replacement candidate to be chosen later in the month. The looming deadline has intensified pressure on the nominee as party leaders weigh how to salvage a race considered critical to Democratic hopes of regaining control of the Senate.

If Platner does drop out, the list of potential replacements includes progressive activist Troy Jackson, who was endorsed by the Maine Democratic Socialists of America during his third-place gubernatorial bid last month and campaigned extensively with Platner.

While Pappas was late to the issue, he is one of the few Granite State Democrats to speak out. Sens. Maggie Hassan and Jeanne Shaheen have not said whether Platner should remain the Democratic nominee, nor has Rep. Maggie Goodlander.

Shaheen’s daughter, Stefany Shaheen, who is running in the NH-01 Democratic primary, went viral for fleeing a tracker asking about Platner while a staffer tried to block the camera lens with a donut.

Late Monday, she joined Pappas in posting a message on Twitter reversing course.

“Believe survivors. The allegations of sexual assault are extremely disturbing. Graham Platner needs to drop out of this race. I stand with the women who bravely came forward,” Shaheen said.

This story was originally published by the NH Journal, an online news publication dedicated to providing fair, unbiased reporting on, and analysis of, political news of interest to New Hampshire. For more stories from the NH Journal, visit NHJournal.com.