WASHINGTON — Maine Democratic candidate Graham Platner appears to be holding the Democratic Party hostage and is refusing to drop out after being accused of rape unless he gets to approve his successor to run for the Senate, The Post has learned.

A source familiar with the campaign discussions said Platner, his campaign and political strategist Morris Katz are deliberating about the Maine Democrat dropping out but only if his replacement shares his left-wing values. 

And the clock is ticking for Dems — there’s a deadline of Monday for the 41-year-old oyster farmer to withdraw. If he does, state party officials will then initiate what they’ve promised will be an “open” and “transparent” process to choose another candidate for the ballot.

Democratic US Senate candidate Graham Platner speaks during a primary election night watch party after winning the Democratic nomination on June 9, 2026, in Blue Hill, Maine. AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty

“This vibes to me like a play from Bernie Sanders to slide in Troy Jackson,” another source said.

The first source quipped that Platner apparently “assumes whoever might replace [him] would want a rapist’s endorsement.” The candidate has firmly denied an accusation from ex-girlfriend Jenny Racicot on Monday of sexual assault.

“His team is delusional,” this person said, noting that Katz, the campaign strategist who helped elect New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, had been recommending Platner stay in the race. 

The 27-year-old wunderkind works for Fight Agency, a Democratic political consulting firm that has helped elevate progressive candidates.

“He wants to be the next David Axelrod … and Mamdani is his Obama,” a third Democratic source added of Katz. “But obviously Mamdani can’t be the president, so he’s trying to find this white, working-class caricature to take up that mantle.”

Katz reportedly headed to Maine later Tuesday to select a replacement candidate after Mamdani publicly called for Platner “to drop out of the race.” 

Reps for the Platner campaign did not respond to a request for comment.

The Maine Democratic Party requested he withdraw the day before after “multiple women have made serious, credible allegations.”

Platner disclosed the controversial skull tattoo on his chest by sharing an embarrassing video showing him singing in only briefs at a wedding celebration for his brother. Pod Save America

Elderly Vermont independent Sanders — who was Platner’s biggest backer — reportedly wants former Maine senate president Troy Jackson to get the Democratic nomination to run against Republican Sen. Susan Collins. 

Jackson, a logger-turned-lawmaker who appeared with Platner and Sanders at a “Fight the Oligarchy” rally in May, recently came in third in the state’s Democratic gubernatorial primary.

Both Maine Dems have backed higher taxes on billionaires and a “Medicare for All,” single-payer health care system — with Platner leaning more into foreign policy issues and denouncing US support for Israel as “shameful,” accusing the Jewish State of committing “genocide” against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

The New York Times first reported on the talks that could define the race Democrats’ had hoped would be one of their best chances to regain the Senate.

Platner is facing off against Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine. AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite

Asked whether Platner’s swift hemorrhaging of support in the wake of the allegations from women would force Democratic Party bosses to exert more control over future primaries, strategist James Carville told The Post: “How can they? They don’t have any control.”

“If you look at what happened to my dear friend Michael Bennett,” Carville said, referring to the former moderate Democratic senator and Colorado gubernatorial candidate, “the idea that there’s some controlling entity in the Democratic Party — there’s a council of elders — it’s just absurd.”

“It’s not a failure of the Democratic Party. … The party’s being challenged,” he added. “If there’s any fault with the lack of vetting, it would be with Platner’s own campaign.”

Here’s the latest on the bombshell sexual harassment allegations against lefty Senate candidate Graham Platner:

Jackson submitted a filing with the Federal Election Commission on Tuesday setting up an exploratory committee to replace Platner on the 2026 ballot, the Bangor Daily News first reported.

“This is a ‘testing the waters/exploratory’ committee,” the July 7 filing stated. Its treasurer, Peter Sarasohn, has been earning a salary of roughly $3,000 per month from Sanders’ principal campaign committee since January 2025.

A website urging Mainers to “Draft Troy” has also popped up, touting Jackson as a “proven progressive,” “logger by trade and a champion of working people.”

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and other party leaders have already rescinded their endorsements of Platner in the wake of allegations from the candidate’s ex-girlfriend that he raped her in 2021. AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty

If Platner withdraws, Jackson will likely vie with other contenders from the governor’s race for the Senate Democratic slot: Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows and former CDC Director Nirav Shah, sources said.

Congressional hopeful Jordan Wood, who lost his primary in Maine’s Second Congressional District, as well as Maine Beer Company owner Dan Kleban, who launched a Senate bid before withdrawing last year, are also in the running, according to Democratic insiders.

Sanders broke his silence on Platner’s candidacy on Tuesday, saying in a statement: “I have spoken with Graham Platner about the best path forward for Maine. In light of these very serious allegations, I have recommended that he step aside.”

Start your day with all you need to know

Morning Report delivers the latest news, videos, photos and more.

Thanks for signing up!

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and other party leaders have already rescinded their endorsements of Platner in the wake of allegations from the candidate’s ex-girlfriend that he raped her in 2021.

Other high-profile Platner backers like Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) also called for him to suspend his campaign.

And the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) announced it won’t invest any money in the 2026 Senate race, which is key to their party’s hopes of retaking the upper chamber, should Platner remain on the ballot.

Before Politico and CNN released interviews with the former girlfriend Jenny Racicot that revealed details of the alleged sexual assault, Platner called the forthcoming “accusation of non-consensual behavior … categorically false.”

“Regardless of the inaccuracy of the reporting, but mindful of the political reality it will inflict, we are taking the time to reflect on the best path forward for the state that I love, the people that I love, the movement I belong to, and the goal of defeating Susan Collins,” he said in a video statement as well.

The Maine Democrat has been dogged since launching his campaign last August by stories about having gotten a Nazi symbol tattooed on his chest, posting offensive comments on Reddit forums in the past and even sending sexual text messages to women who weren’t his wife.