Democrats scramble after Maine candidate's downfall exposes party divisions

The Democratic Party is facing a political crisis in Maine after its star Senate candidate, Graham Platner, abruptly withdrew from the race following a serious sexual assault allegation. The implosion has not only jeopardized the party's hopes of flipping a key Senate seat but has also laid bare the deepening ideological rift between its progressive and centrist wings.

Platner, a 41-year-old Marine Corps veteran and oyster farmer, had been recruited by liberal activists as a working-class populist capable of unseating Republican Senator Susan Collins. He won the Democratic primary with 72% of the vote and secured endorsements from top progressives including Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative