“Regardless of the inaccuracy of the information, but mindful of the political reality it will inflict, we are taking the time to reflect on the best path forward for the state I love, the people I love, the movement I belong to, and the goal of defeating Susan Collins,” Platner said in a video statement on social media shortly after Politico published the story.

Prominent Democrats in the Senate, along with the Maine Democratic Party, have called on Platner to “retire immediately.”

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand said in a statement: “The allegations reported today are incredibly disturbing: violence, abuse and sexual assault are absolutely unacceptable.”

The Democratic Senate Campaign Committee, which provides millions of dollars in support to the party’s candidates, “will not invest in the Maine Senate race if Platner remains on the ballot,” they added.

The list of Democrats calling on him to drop out grew Monday night to include Sens. Elizabeth Warren, Cory Booker and Elissa Slotkin, while three party supporters withdrew their endorsements: Rep. Ro Khanna and Sens. Martin Heinrich and Ruben Gallego.

Platner’s campaign has postponed several events that were scheduled for this week. The BBC has contacted the campaign for comment.

Platner will face the incumbent senator, Republican Susan Collins, who has fended off political challenges for three decades, in November’s congressional elections.

The race is one of several crucial ones Democrats consider a risky attempt to flip control of the Senate in what is commonly called the midterm elections. No Republican has won Maine in a presidential election since 1988.

To increase pressure on the party, Platner must withdraw from the race by July 13 so that his name can be removed from the state ballot and replaced with that of another candidate.

Jenny Racicot, 41, alleged in a series of interviews with Politico that after an on-again, off-again relationship with Platner for more than two years, he entered her Maine home uninvited and sexually assaulted her. She said Platner allegedly seemed very intoxicated.

Racicot said he broke off contact with Platner after telling him the encounter was not consensual.

She said she felt compelled to speak publicly about her experience because of the controversial reaction to a story published by the New York Times, in which several women alleged that Platner mistreated them.

Last month’s report detailed the accounts of three ex-girlfriends who accused him of erratic and angry behavior. It was published just before the primary elections in the state.

Racicot told Politico that she was one of the women interviewed by the Times but did not want to go public with her specific claims because she did not want to be known as a rape victim.

Platner denied the allegations and refused to drop out of the race.

Following Monday’s report detailing new allegations, some Democrats called on him to step aside before the November election.

Donna Brazile, political strategist and former Democratic National Committee leader, said on

Two lawmakers who endorsed Platner in March rescinded their support, with Senator Gallego calling the allegations “troubling and deeply serious” and Heinrich describing them as “appalling.” Rep. Khanna, who had appeared at rallies with Platner and was considered a strong supporter, called the report serious and credible, adding that “Graham Platner should drop out of the race. I’m withdrawing my endorsement.”

Meanwhile, the Maine Democratic Party also called on him to resign.

“Over the past few weeks, several women have made serious and credible allegations against Graham Platner. Today’s statements take those allegations even further,” read a statement from the state’s political party. “Maine Democratic Party leadership is calling on Graham Platner to withdraw as Democratic candidate for US Senate”.

Platner has faced other controversies during his campaign.

There were reports of a tattoo on his chest resembling a Nazi symbol that sparked backlash. Then online comments he made dismissing rape were discovered and stories that he had been unfaithful to his wife were leaked to the American media.

Regarding the tattoo, Platner said he covered up what appeared to resemble the “Totenkopf” – German for “death’s head” – used by Nazi forces during World War II. He said he got the tattoo in Croatia with fellow Marines in 2007 while drinking.

Old Reddit posts showed Platner saying that victims of sexual assault should “take some responsibility for themselves” and not become so intoxicated. After the posts were discovered, Platner asked voters for forgiveness.

“Maine, I ask that you judge me not by the worst thing I said on the Internet, on my worst day 14 years ago, but by who I am today and the kind of senator I promise to be,” he said in an ad addressing the comments.

And when allegations surfaced that Platner had exchanged sexually explicit text messages on a messaging app with women outside of his marriage, he acknowledged they were true.

“At the beginning of our marriage, I made mistakes, and Amy held me accountable for them, and we overcame them, and the work we did made our marriage significantly stronger, and what we are today is an incredibly faithful and happy married couple,” Platner said in an interview on MS Now.